The Adventures of Firegirl
by Firegirl210
Summary: The epic journey of a 21st century girl pulled headfirst into 31st century life in the Legion of Superheroes. She finally has the life she's always wanted; and she just might fall for someone along the way. Brainy/OC and other Legion Pairings--COMPLETE!
1. Part 1 Chapter 1

_Hey Everyone! This is the first chapter of my veeery long story. I hope you'll like it as much as I do!!!_

_I don't own the Legion of Superheroes. YET!!! All I have to do is knock of Cos.... *rubs hands together evilly* MWA HA HA HA!!!!_

_**Chapter One**_

_**A New Legionnaire**_

_**Part One: A Meeting with Destiny**_

Brainiac Five walked down a silent street in Mountain City Colorado, the United States. He was wearing a cloak with a hood, and the few humans on the street kept their distance from him. That was fine with him; after all, he was not of their world.

The twenty-first century. What was he doing here? He didn't know. This was a place of the past, most information about it lost in the Great Crisis. Maybe that was it— maybe he wanted to learn. He laughed bitterly, shaking his head; who was he kidding with that excuse? He had been walking all night, and he finally stopped. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he felt as if something was pulling him here. He was in a silent suburb now, all the houses dark.

There was a light shining in one backyard. His feet began to move towards it, and he floated off the ground to look down the window well the light was coming from.

A girl stood there, her eyes closed in concentration. Suddenly a ball of flame appeared in front of her, and she opened her eyes. Brainy felt a wave of interest; this girl had superpowers. He contemplated what he should do. She would most likely think he was crazy if he simply yelled down at her, so he tapped firmly on the grate, and the girl whirled around. She started as she caught sight of him. "Who are you?" She asked, opening the window and looking up at him. There was no trace of fear or suspicion in her voice; only interest. Her hair was honey colored and very curly. Her eyes were blue, and she wore a thick set of glasses. She was wearing loose clothes, a red shirt and black pants with white dots and stripes dancing along crazily.

"Querl." She gave him a strange look.

"That's your name?" He nodded.

"What are you doing in my backyard?" He sighed, not really sure how to answer the question. Her eyes flicked to his hand, and widened a bit as she noticed the ring on it.

"I like your ring; Superman has one like it." She said, and he blinked, looking down at his Legion Ring.

"Do you need help or something?" He sighed again, still not sure why he was sitting there talking to her, and nodded. She opened the window pane further and removed a thin coating of screen and got out into the window well, pushing the grate up softly so she was face to face with him.

"If you need help, I'd be willing to give it to you." He blinked in surprise as she motioned for him to come in.

"My Mom thinks I'm asleep, so be quiet." He dropped into the room, and his hood fell down. She cocked her head.

"Your skin is green." She observed. He stood up, and realized that he only came up to slightly above her shoulder. He inwardly sighed in annoyance; was _everyone_ taller than him?

"What were you doing with the ball of fire?" He asked. She sat down on a bed in the middle of the room.

"I call myself a firebender; I can control fire." He nodded in interest.

"I know someone who has a similar gift." She motioned at a fuzzy pink circular chair in the corner.

"You can sit down, if you'd like." He eyed the thing with suspicion. He slowly sat down on the edge and tried to sit.

"Aaugh!" He yelped as he tipped backwards and his head hit the back of the chair. It was larger and deeper then it looked. He rubbed his head, and saw that she was covering her mouth, shaking with suppressed laugher. He looked down, still rubbing his head and feeling the unaccustomed heat rushing to his face.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have laughed. But it was pretty funny." She amended. He sat back more carefully and realized that it was in fact fairly comfortable.

"Apology accepted. Now, will you show me your power?" She nodded and stood up. She took a breath and held her palms flat together, as if she was praying. Then she made several intricate motions with her arms, and a small ball of flame appeared. He watched as she made it change shape and size, even intensity, changing it from warm orange fire to scalding white flames. The way she moved her arms, it looked like she was dancing.

"Very good. But can you fight with it?" She made another motion with her arms, bringing them in an arc over her head and stopping at her waist with her hands palm down, and the flame faded away.

"You want me to go crazy with my fire whips in my bedroom that is full of flammable objects?" He shook his head, seeing her reason.

"So, where are you from?" She asked, sitting down on the bed again.

"Well… This is going to sound crazy." He laughed, and she cocked her head.

"What's so funny?" He looked at his hands, frowning.

"I have a twelfth level intelligence and I don't even know what I'm doing." She raised an eyebrow, her head still cocked, giving her a very comical look.

"So? Where are you from?" He had to think up a cover-up quickly. "Metropolis."

Her eyes lit up. "Lucky! I've always wanted to go to Metropolis! But my Dad who came from the middle of nowhere—this teeny tiny town in Kansas called Smallville—thinks it would be too dangerous for me to go anywhere. Like, ever." He started, the familiar name startling him.

"Your father is from Smallville? I have been there, once… a long time ago."

She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, all I really want to do is get out of here and see the world." He nodded, knowing the feeling. She kicked her legs up as she faced the boy, not feeling at all uncomfortable with this person in her room.

"So, what about you? What are your dreams and aspirations?"

He frowned, his brow crinkling. "You don't even know who I am." He said softly, twisting the ring on his finger. She shrugged, but he thought he saw a twinkle of secrecy in her eyes and a smile she was trying to hide.

"You're probably right. I mean, how could I know you?" She seemed to be trying to convince herself as much as him. "So, what's your trouble?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Well…" He wasn't sure what to say, why he felt so drawn to this girl with her open atmosphere. "I hurt my friends very much a few weeks ago."

Her expression motioned for him to continue. He took a deep breath, the nudging in his mind getting stronger and stronger.

"And I left our group to try to sort everything out, and I thought they would never be able to trust me again."

She blinked at his sudden outburst. "Oh. Well, if they're good friends who really care about you, I can't see what you could have done. What did you do?" He winced, completely out of lies.

And so he told her the truth.

All of it.

* * *

Brainiac Five stood up, his black cloak sweeping the floor.

"I really shouldn't be telling you these things. But for some reason I did." She stood up with him.

"I guess there's a lot that I don't know. But I've always been told I'm a good listener; and you might be surprised at what I understand." He smiled faintly at her.

"I'm sorry. I've disturbed your peace enough for one night. I should go." He stepped towards the window, but she caught his wrist and held him back.

"Wait. Will you come back? I want to know more about this Legion of the future." He frowned in thought.

"I suppose I can return…" She smiled and released him. "I'll see you then?" He nodded and disappeared through the window.

* * *

Brainy walked down the street, his head pounding as if Brainiac 1.0 was thrashing about in anger inside his head. What was he doing? He had just appeared in a strange girl's bedroom and spilled some of his deepest, darkest secrets to her. He didn't even know her name! Now he was wandering around in the 21st century, lost and alone, with no idea why he was there or what he was going to do next.

* * *

Brogyn Aidan dove under the covers with her flashlight and her diary; this was a dream come true! She didn't tell Brainiac that she knew all about him; it would have just creeped him out. But she knew _everything_ about the Legion of Superheroes. They were a group of super-powered young adults and teenagers, defenders of justice in the 31st century. She knew almost all of them by name: Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, Colossal Boy, Phantom Girl, Timber Wolf, Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Chameleon Boy, Star Boy, Kel-el, Superman, Matter Eater Lad, Sun Boy, Bouncing Boy, Triplicate Girl, Element Lad, Karate Kid, Nemesis Kid, Ultra Boy, Blok… Brainiac Five.

They were supposedly a TV show and Comic Series directed by Superman himself, and she didn't know how accurate it was. But Brainiac Five had looked exactly like he did in the Television show… After the second season had ended. He had been her favorite through the entire show, and she had in all honesty almost had a heart attack when she saw him. So it was all true; all of it! He had really tried to take over the Universe, had really fought with his ancestor, had really killed Imperiex; true, true, true. She felt her eyelids drooping, and she peeked out from under the blankets at the clock. It was almost one o'clock in the morning.

She yawned, ended her Diary entry and switched off her bedside lamp. She stared out the dark window to the silent window well as a thought struck her; why her, why here, why now? Why had Brainiac Five, her hero, decided to visit her in the middle of the night in her home in the calm little suburb? Perhaps she would get her answers at their next meeting…

* * *

Brainy found shelter under a tree that night. It was a warm, probably midsummer. But he still felt humiliated to be sleeping basically in a gutter. He balled up his cloak for a pillow and curled into a ball, trying to keep the nightmares away. He was so tired; he fell into a deep and blissfully dreamless sleep in moments.

When he awoke, the sun was streaming down on his face through the dappled leaves of the trees. He peered up through them; a bird hopped around on the branches, twittering happily. This of kind tree and this species of bird would be eliminated from the earth during the great Crisis. He wondered what else had been lost that no one remembered anymore. A small patch of flowers, white and open to welcome the day surrounded his sleeping place.

Suddenly there was a sound, and he sat up groggily. A primitive vehicle—an automobile—drove by, puffing out exhaust and carbon dioxide. He watched as it approached and went by, and realized with a jolt that he recognized the girl in the front seat; it was the girl he had visited the night before, the one who had called herself the firebender. He stood up and followed the car. It was going slowly, and it stopped in front of a red sign. He flew after it and activated his stealth belt, not wanting to be seen by anyone; after all, you didn't see as many heroes flying around here as in his time. The car pulled into a space with more automobiles parked in precarious places.

The girl got out, and Brainy blinked in interest. It was the same girl, he was certain, but she looked very different. Her loose fitting clothes and wild hair of the night before was gone. Her hair was pulled back into a curly cloud behind her head, small red and black ornaments hung from her ears, and her glasses were gone. She stared shyly after a short boy in a white shirt and tie walking into the building, but he didn't notice her. She was wearing a knee length red and black dress with patterns curling crazily across it. He shook his head; was _everything_ about this girl red and black? She walked into the building, chatting with a pretty girl with long, light brown hair and glasses, about half a head shorter then herself. He ducked behind a bush and waited.

He accidentally fell asleep, and the people began pouring out of the building woke him. He sat up blearily and looked around. She walked out talking to her friend from before and another girl, also pretty, with shoulder length, dark brown hair and deep, soulful brown eyes.

"I don't know why you even like him! He's not that cute." The girl with light brown hair said to her.

"So? There's more to a boy then good looks you know." The dark haired girl said.

"Lane and Parker are pretty cute, Katie." The one called Katie sighed in exasperation.

"I don't like them anymore and you know it, Kirsten." Kirsten laughed, and She laughed with her.

"Adam is _not_ cute. And he's so short!" A third girl with medium long brown hair, shiny pink lips and color brushed along her eyelids said from behind Kirsten.

"Hey, here's an idea, Cassie. Let's make comments on someone else's love life." She huffed. Katie, Kirsten and Cassie burst out laughing.

"Come on, Brogyn. You're the most fun to tease. And we never said anything about _love_." Brainy smiled; so that was her name. Brogyn pushed Kirsten, making her bump into a smallish boy with fuzzy blonde hair who was walking kind of hunched over in an odd shuffling way.

"Sorry Shea." Kirsten amended. He shrugged and shuffled off. Katie, Cassie and Brogyn broke into laughter.

"Let's see how you like it!" Kirsten suddenly shoved Brogyn, and she tripped over her own boots and tumbled into a short boy with tan skin and brown hair. They hit the grass on the side of the white walkway before both scrambling up.

"Jeez, watch it!" He snapped, and Brogyn blushed furiously.

"You watch it, Adam!" She shouted back. Her friends were bellowing with laughter, and she stormed to her car and got in, slamming the door. Brainy slunk through the bushes, still invisible, and tapped on her window. She jumped, hitting her head on the low ceiling. He turned off his stealth belt, becoming visible

"Querl?" She said, her eyes wide. He stuck his head in as she rolled the window down.

"So it wasn't a dream!" She sounded absolutely ecstatic.

"Shall I meet you in your room when you return?" He asked. She shook her head, and the dangling ornaments clinked together like tiny wind chimes.

"No, not while my family is around. How about the park? You do know where it is, right?" He nodded.

"Quick, my family is coming." She hissed, shoving his head out. He disappeared again. He watched as two children and two adults got into the car. The boy was obviously younger then Brogyn, but still probably taller then Brainy was. His wild blonde hair stuck out at odd angles, and his shirt was already coming un-tucked. The girl was very young, her long blonde hair combed into a plait at her back. Her blue eyes were wide, and her thumb was in her mouth. The mother was about the same height as Brogyn, her short light brown hair curling around in little puffs on her head. She was tan and pretty, with shining blue eyes. The father was very tall, with short black hair and green-blue eyes. The car began to move, and the family disappeared down the street. Brainy slid around cars and people, heading to the street, his stealth belt still hiding him. He reached the park and waited.

* * *

Brogyn rushed into the house after Church and shot down the stairs, her earrings already in her hand and her boots half on her feet. She was going so fast she actually missed the last few stairs and fell down them. She changed faster then she had ever changed before, and soon she was back upstairs before anyone else had even gotten out of their church clothes.

"Well, someone's in a hurry." Her mom said, laughing at her daughter's enthusiasm.

"Can I go to the park?" She asked breathlessly. Her mom blinked and shrugged.

"Take your cell." Brogyn grabbed her small red phone out of her room and was back upstairs in a flash.

"Bye, love you, see you later!" She called and was out the door.

* * *

Brainy sat on the bench, watching the empty park. No one had come all day, despite the fair weather. He heard the sound of whirring tires, and turned his head. Brogyn was coasting down the concrete walk, her hair hidden by a shiny silver helmet. She screeched her vehicle to a halt a few feet from him, making him step back.

"Hey, Brainy. So, what should we do today?" He smiled at her. If anything could take his mind off the horrors of the past, it was a day of carefree gallivanting.

"Anything. Everything! Show me what you like to do for fun." He said. She grinned and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards two small platforms hanging on chains. He thought it felt nice when she held his hand. She sat down in one of the platforms and began to swing her legs back and forth, making the platform fly back and forth.

"What are you doing?" Brainy asked.

"Get on the other one! It's a swing! Just do what I do." She said, still pumping her legs. He hesitantly sat down, finding it stable. He pushed off the ground, and it swung back and forth. He began to swing his legs the way she had shown him, and soon he was flying over the ground. This was like flying, only different. It was more erratic, dangerous and uncomfortable; it was downright exhilarating! He watched her as she swung beside him, and suddenly she let go, flying through the air with a wild whoop. She landed with a thud, hitting the ground and rolling to a stop. Brainy flew off, floating down to a standstill over her.

"Maybe we should be more careful." He said. She sat up and shook chips of wood out of her hair.

"Not a chance." She grinned. Brainy followed her around the park, occasionally pointing out something or asking a question. He soon had memorized exactly what she looked like, an old and somewhat annoying habit he had. He had done it with all the Legionnaires, in fact. Her hair was curly and wild, twisting in many ringlets to her shoulders. She had pieces of metal attached to her teeth, and when he asked about them, she called them Braces. She laughed more then anyone he knew and she had a nice smile despite the metal pieces. He watched her as she scaled a tree and hung upside down from it, laughing as always.

"Brogyn?" He asked, and she grinned.

"I never told you my name."

He shrugged. "And I never told you that I was sometimes called Brainy. But I need to ask you a favor." She grabbed the branch and swung down.

"Anything." She said.

He sighed. "I may need to leave soon. I don't think the Legion would want me to be with you, in this time period."

She looked hurt. "But, you left the Legion! Why do they care what you do?" She said. He froze; he had never told her this. Was she a spy after all?

"How do you know about that?" He asked. She also had frozen, realizing her mistake.

She sighed and looked down. "I know Brainy. Everything." He frowned, shock rippling through him.

"How?" She reached into her pocket and withdrew a primitive communication device, a cellular phone. She flipped it open and hit some buttons and then held it out to him. He peered at it and felt a wave of confusion. The picture looked like him, but it was drawn by pencil or ink. She pressed another button, and the picture changed to another of him. And on and on. Over twenty pictures of him in different stages of his life. Some were when he was smaller, and Superman had first joined the Legion. Others were himself when Kel-el had been dragged in. And a few were his human self. There were also pictures of the entire Legion. He flipped it closed and handed it back to her.

"Where did you find these?" He asked softly.

She looked down. "There is a television show called The Legion of Superheroes, supposedly suggested by Superman himself. He helps them do the episodes, or so I've heard. You're one of the main characters, actually, and you're pretty much everyone's favorite. Brainiac Five—or Querl Dox—is a Coluan who separated himself from the Hive Mind years ago and chose to live among humans. Then Brainiac 1.0 took over his mind and wreaked havoc on the galaxy, but Brainy saved them all by destroying him." She suddenly giggled. Brainy scowled.

"What can you possibly find funny about this situation?" He demanded. She giggled again.

"You were pretty funny during the Alignment."

She burst into a fit of giggles as Brainy's eyes went wide.

"What!? Superman put _that_ in?!" He spluttered. Brogyn was literally on the ground laughing, and he frowned, hurt.

"It was not a pleasant experience. And if Superman hadn't--"

She stopped laughing, though she was still breathing hard. "I know, I know. If he hadn't taken you to Zoon, you would have gone offline. I took it very seriously at that part. But the rest was funny. And by the way, I want to play spider too!" She was grinning, and Brainy felt a voice whisper to him. '_This girl could seriously hurt you with all she knows. You and all your friends_.' It nagged. He shoved the thought away. She was just a child; she wouldn't—_couldn't_—hurt them. Her face fell.

"You're getting creeped out now. Sorry, I knew you would be if I started my rambling. But you were always my favorite character. So when you showed up on my doorstep—uh, windowsill—I thought it was a dream come true." She admitted sheepishly. Brainy frowned; she must be insane to think he was her dream come true.

"You'll probably want to go home now. Sorry if I'm still creeping you out. I'd probably scare Prince Zuko even more." She chuckled softly at some inside joke. He had a sudden stab of sadness; he would have to leave and very possibly erase her memory of this to protect the Legion. But he could spend more time with her before erasing it…

"Do you like music?" She asked suddenly. He shrugged.

"I don't particularly have a preference. Music is not as popular in the 31st century as I have heard it is here." She sat down on the bench and pulled out a small digital device. Brainy sat down next to her, making sure to commit every detail of her to memory.

He would remember this odd and unlikely friendship, even when she forgot.

She held out a small pink thing to him, and he took it, looking at it curiously.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" He asked. She laughed.

"Put it in your ear! It's a headphone." He obeyed, and soft music began to play. Brogyn was singing along with it, and he thought she had a very nice singing voice.

"What song is this?" He asked, and she grinned.

"One of my favorites. It's There's Us by Alexz Johnson." She looked down, a slight pink tinge creeping across her cheeks. The song continued, and Brainy began to pick up on the lyrics.

"I want to know the words. May we listen again?" He asked, and she nodded, replaying it. He listened…

After several times through the song, they were both singing along with it. Suddenly a beeping sound came from the machine, and Brogyn pulled the headphone out of her ear, accidentally yanking it out of Brainy's as well. He winced, rubbing his ear.

"Oh, sorry, but it's almost dead. I should probably be going now..." She said, and he nodded sadly.

Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light, followed by an all too familiar time bubble.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't our little Legion friend." A hissing voice said, and a woman with green hair floated out of the bubble.

"Empress!"

_To be continued…_

* * *

_Well, that was the first chapter! I hope you'll review it!! Please no flames though! I can only handle pyro-kineticly generated heat!!!_

_~Firegirl~_

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	2. Part 1 Chapter 2

_Hey again! This is the second part of my story. Sorry about the last cliffhanger, if you were really actually worried (unlikely)_

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* * *

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**_Part Two: The New Legionnaire_**

Brainy stood, facing the Fatal Five—or, the Fatal Four. Validus had been gone since Brainiac's rampage around the Universe.

"Brogyn, get out of here." He whispered. But to his surprise and horror, she stood up next to him and fell into a fighting position, her hand held forward and the other cocked back. They seemed alight with an orange glow.

"We fight together." She said fiercely.

"This is so sweet it's making me nauseous." Mano hissed. Tharock held up his laser cannon equipped arm, the sound of its charging echoing ominously, and Persuader grinned through his mask. Tharock fired, sending a laser beam right at Brogyn.

"NO!" Brainy cried as a huge BOOM resonated and smoke billowed around the place where Brogyn had stood a moment before.

Tharock laughed huskily. "So much for fighting together." He mocked. Brainy felt tears of anger and shock sting his eyes. Suddenly a long stream of fire whipped out of the smoke, striking Tharock across the face and making him fall back with a howl of pain into Mano.

"You wish, robo-boy." Brogyn stepped out of the smoke, fists blazing. Her loose hair was like golden fire as it swirled in the sweltering wind, her blue eyes shimmering with an inner flame. She leaped with a ferocious battle cry at Tharock, fiery whips snapping. The cyborg stumbled behind Persuader, who raised his ax above Brogyn's head. Brainy pulled out his blaster cannon and fired, sending the ax flying. It sliced right through The Empress's Emerald Eye of Ekron. She screamed in anger as it crashed to the ground, leaking green dust. Mano charged at Brogyn, who had a fierce expression of glee on her face. She leaped up, grabbing a branch and swinging into the tree above her. Mano reached out to turn it to dust when she dropped down on his head with a wild whoop. He stumbled and grabbed the only thing available for balance; Tharock's robotic arm. It melted in half and clattered to the ground, and Tharock howled in anger.

"Fall back! Fall back!" The Emerald Empress cried, and they raced for the time bubble. Brainy watched as they stepped in, closed the door and disappeared.

"They got away." Brogyn said, panting. Brainy nodded, his heart still pounding. "But man, you were awesome! The way you whipped out that blaster cannon and BAM! Persuader's ax went right through the eye!" She said animatedly, waving her arms.

"You weren't too bad yourself." Brainy replied. They looked around; smoke drifted lazily, and there was green dust floating around from the Emerald Eye.

"I think the Legion might be in trouble." He said.

"What?"

"The entire Fatal Four came looking for me. Without the Legion of Supervillains, or anyone else. Something could be very wrong back at HQ."

She looked away. "So you have to leave."

He nodded sadly. "I'm sorry. But if my team needs me, if they're in trouble…"

She stood up and grabbed her helmet and bicycle. "I'll miss you, Brainy. Bye then." She said, and swung her leg over the seat.

"Wait!" Brainy called, standing in front of her. "I need to say a proper goodbye. Stand up." He said. She obeyed, standing in front of him. He pulled her into a hug, and she returned it. He was shorter than her; she had to lean over a little. _This is definitely my dream come true. _She thought blissfully.

"Goodbye, Brogyn." He said, and suddenly he was gone with a flash of light. She was holding thin air, blinking like an owl. What was she doing at the park? She didn't remember coming here…

* * *

Brainy stepped out of the time bubble, fists clenched in anger; she was his friend. How could he have done that to her? Now she would never remember the time he spent with her. But he would always remember his human friend who flung fire from her hands.

"Brainy! I can't believe you're safe!" A voice called, and he found himself engulfed in several hugs at once. "How did you avoid the Fatal Four? We just sent Bouncing Boy and Triplicate Girl to help you!" Phantom Girl said.

"I, uh…" Brainy stumbled for words. What would he tell them? "I left at just the right moment, I guess."

They seemed to believe him and walked off. He looked around; the tower was a mess. It was obvious the Legion of Supervillains had been here. "Hey Brainy. It's good to see you again." A shy, husky voice said. He turned and found Violet standing there.

"Oh, hello Violet." He said. The way she wouldn't meet his eyes made him uncomfortable. It was the opposite of Brogyn's attitude; her blue eyes that held his gaze confidently and bravely, with that impenetrable depth in them that implied that she was more than what first meets the eye. He felt something squarish in his hand, and he looked down. A small pink rectangle rested there with the title _'There's_ _Us'_ flashing across the screen.

"I'm going to work on the damage." He said quietly, disappearing down the hall.

"What's his deal?" Timber Wolf asked.

Saturn Girl looked after him. "I'll find out." She said and floated after him.

* * *

Phantom Girl drifted through the corridor, melding the broken chunks of metal from the day before back to the walls and ceiling. She heard a sound, and she turned. Brainy was sitting in the small alcove in the window, singing to himself as welded the window frame back into place.

"What were you thinking? What was the song inside your head?" He sang softly.

"What are you singing?" Phantom Girl asked, appearing at his shoulder. He yelped and dropped his metal welder. It landed on his hand and he yelped again, this time in pain instead of surprise.

"Phantom Girl, please don't sneak up on me." He said, rubbing his bruised hand.

"Sorry, Brainy. But what were you singing?"

He shrugged. "It's a song I learned when I went to visit the 21st century." He said.

She perked up. "Really? How does it go?" He clenched his teeth; he really, _really_ wanted her to go away.

"I'm not singing it for you, Phantom Girl."

Her face fell. "Please? I just want to know. I love music." He sighed; it felt like he was violating Brogyn's trust by telling. He knew he still had her music device, and planned to listen to the songs on it. But _There's_ _Us_, the song she had called 'their song' would always be his favorite.

"Look, may we just forget it?" He asked. Phantom Girl knew when he wanted to be left alone, so she backed off and flew off down the hall with her welder. She passed Saturn Girl, who stopped her.

"Phantom Girl, have you seen Brainy?" The black and white girl nodded her head down the hall. "He's down there sitting in the window. He's not in a vey good mood." She warned, but Saturn Girl had already flown off.

* * *

Brogyn flopped on her bed, feeling strangely drained and tired, even though she couldn't remember doing anything very physical that day. She couldn't remember a lot of things from the past day and a half, which was strange. She picked up her book off the bedside table and began to read. It was a story about a girl who fell in love with a time traveler. She frowned and threw it back, clicking on the TV. The movie she had been watching was a romance about a girl and an alien. She turned it off and opened her backpack and reached for her iPod. She realized it wasn't there. With no other option, she picked up her Diary and began to flip through it.

She stopped on her latest entry and read it. She felt a realization sink into her; she didn't remember writing this. It was something about Brainy appearing in her room and spilling his guts to her. She sighed and rolled her eyes; she was either going crazy or she writing in wishful thinking. She ripped out the Diary entry and chucked it across the room into the trash can.

* * *

Brainy was still humming the song when Saturn Girl flew up. "Hey. Are you ok?" She asked. He shrugged, looking away. Saturn Girl turned, and her eyes glowed pink. She entered Brainy's memories, and she looked down as she left them.

"I'm sorry, Brainy. I know it's hard to lose a friend." She said. He clenched his fists, angry at her and himself simultaneously.

"But I shouldn't have lost her. It was stupid and selfish to be her friend in the first place. But at least she can't remember, so she won't suffer." Saturn Girl put her hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe it would be best to forget and move on." She said gently.

He looked down, frowning at his welder. "But I don't want to forget." He said softly.

Suddenly, a blast rocked the ship. "What was that?!" Phantom Girl asked, getting up off the floor where she had fallen.

"It's the Legion of Supervillains and the Fatal Four! And they've got a hostage…" Lightning Lad's voice crackled over the ring-com, and the three Legionnaires rushed to the window. The Emerald Empress was floating there, smiling nastily. The Legion of Supervillains surrounded her, and Persuader was holding a struggling girl in his hands. She had curly blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and blue eyes, and she was barefoot wearing a loose black shirt and red shorts. Brainy felt his heart land in his shoes. Tharock grinned at him and held his laser cannon right next to her face. She looked terrified, and he knew she didn't remember anything.

"Brainiac Five! Your friend needs you." Emerald Empress mocked. Tharock's laser cannon charged, lighting her face with a sickly purple glow. Saturn Girl turned to ask Brainy what was happening, but he was already dissapearing around the corner into the airlock.

* * *

Brogyn had no idea what was happening. She remembered being snatched from the sidewalk on her way to Katie's house, and flying through some kind of vortex. Then she was here, floating in space but somehow breathing, with a gun pointed at her face. She was scared, and she didn't know why these people wanted her. She realized they looked exactly like the Fatal Four and the Legion of Supervillains from Legion of Superheroes… But that was crazy. Suddenly a door to the ship they were floating in front of opened, and a small green person floated towards them.

"Put her down, Persuader." He said, crossing his arms. More people had come out, but they were hovering behind him, looking at her with curious expressions.

Tharock laughed. "What are you going to do about it? You erased her memory; she can't help you now."

The green person looked at her with a pleading expression. "Brogyn, you have to remember." He said softly. His eyes were a soft green, and they met her blue ones with fear. Suddenly she felt like she had been slapped in the face. She blinked groggily as memories rushed into her mind, trying to continue to look confused and helpless. Tharock laughed again. "Your little human friend is no use to you." More Legionnaires gathered around, frowning at their enemies.

Brogyn suddenly burst into flame, making Persuader shout and drop her. She fell a few dozen feet, and Brainy grabbed her arm. "Here, use this." He slipped a ring around her middle finger on her right hand. She grinned and held up her hand, the ring glowing. The Legion charged into action, and it was like a dream come true for Brogyn. She was fighting along with the Legion of Superheroes, just like she had always imagined.

* * *

The Legion of Supervillains/The Fatal Four was caught off guard; this was not supposed to happen. The girl had her memory back and had escaped. They were forced to retreat, leaving the Legion cheering.

"So, who's your friend, Brainy?" Lightning Lad asked, elbowing the boy in the ribs. The said girl met his green eyes with her blues ones. He saw the angry fire there and bit his lip.

"Dude, she needs a superhero name! Something heroic and awesome!" Chameleon Boy said. "I know! Oh man, I'm a genius!" He said with a grin.

"Please, enlighten us." Timber Wolf said sarcastically. The shape shifter grinned wider.

"Firegirl!"

Brogyn smiled softly. "I like it." She said.

"But, who _are_ you? Where did you come from?" Lightning Lad asked.

"Firegirl, Planet Earth, 21st century sir." She said, snapping to attention. All eyes turned to Brainy.

"Brainy, what have you been up to?" Triplicate Girl asked. He looked down, and both friends looked extremely uncomfortable.

"You know what; it doesn't matter how she got dragged into this. She's here now, and frankly we can always use help." Colossal Boy said.

"We did the same thing with Superman; we brought him here, to a century he doesn't belong in. But he saved us so many times it's almost embarrassing. Why shouldn't she get a chance?" Timber Wolf asked. Everyone looked at each other, seeing the reasoning in their words.

"You know, you're going to need a new costume." Cosmic Boy said. Brogyn made a squeaking sound and her hands flew to her mouth. "You mean I'm in?" She asked, her voice three octaves too high. Cosmic Boy held out a gloved hand, and she shook it.

"We better get you suited up." Lightning Lad said, putting his hand on her shoulder. She blushed happily and let him lead her away.

* * *

Brogyn looked at herself in the mirror; her costume was pretty awesome if she could say so. There was a black, sharp looking chest piece that extended in spikes over the shoulders, with a diamond shaped red patch in the middle. On the black boots there was a pointed flame-like spurt of red, along with a red stripe along the top. The arms and legs were striped red and black, and the torso itself was black. There were also red and black shaded gauntlets things that flared out at the edges that in her opinion were the coolest things ever. She chuckled to herself when she thought how very Fire Nation she looked.

"Well, you look different." A voice said. She whirled around in mid-air. Brainy was standing in the corner, his green eyes surveying her.

"Well, if I'm going to be a Legionnaire, I have to look the part, right?" She said. He came over to her, looking up at her face where she stood several inches taller than him.

"I'm sorry, Brogyn. I shouldn't have erased your memory, but I was afraid it would be dangerous for you. A notion that has already proven correct." She shrugged. "I know why you did it. You wanted to protect me. But you have to promise to never pull a stunt like that again."

He smiled. "Agreed." They hugged to seal the deal. "Come on; I think it is high time you met the Legion first hand."

* * *

Brainy led her around the ship, telling her the rules and the schedule. He didn't even have to introduce her to anyone; they would see someone in the hall and she would rush up and start asking a million questions until Brainy dragged her away. Word had already spread that there was a new Legionnaire, and most people where already calling her by her superhero name.

"Hey, Firegirl." Sun Boy said as she attacked him with a hundred thousand questions. "Firepower rocks." He said with a wink. She grinned. "Fire_bending_ rocks harder." Sun Boy looked confused, but Brainy was already pulling her away. They wandered the halls all day, greeting legionnaires. They entered the command room and Firegirl gasped.

"Oh wow! This is so beyond awesome." She said, her eyes the size of saucers.

"Ah, I see our junior Legionnaire is dressed and ready for action." Cosmic Boy said. "Bouncing Boy, show Firegirl some of the controls."

Bouncing Boy came over, his eyes sparkling. "Ok, FG. Let's do this." She followed him and hung on his every word, eyes sweeping the controls excitedly.

"She seems like a good choice. But can she fight?" Cosmic Boy said to Brainy. He smiled to himself. "Yes. She can fight." The leader frowned at her eager, puppy-like expression as Bouncing Boy handed her the steering gear, although Brainy knew for a fact it was on autopilot and using the gear would do nothing. Which was probably why Bouncing Boy was letting her play with it in the first place.

"She needs training if she's going to be a Legionnaire." Cosmic Boy said doubtfully. "Sun Boy would be perfect as her trainer." Brainy offered. Cosmic Boy nodded. "I'll be observing her in the Training Chamber at noon tomorrow then."

* * *

Firegirl stood in the training room, her body tense as she waited for the training to start.

"Chill out there, fireball. This is your first day; we're not springing any Destructor Bots on you. Yet." Sun Boy said, grinning as he floated in front of her. She flew up to meet him, but he held up a hand.

"Today, you don't fly. Your flight ring please." He held out his hand expectantly, and she sighed. She landed and tossed her ring into his hand. He caught it and set his ring and hers on the windowsill to the training room. Then his hands began to blaze, and Firegirl felt a surge of excitement. He shot a weak blast of fire her way. She rolled her eyes and batted it away, launching a fireball at him as she did. Sun Boy wasn't expecting such a heavy attack, and he had to dodge. Firegirl smiled smugly at him as he glared at the smoking scorch mark on the wall with an angry scowl.

"Touché. I see you're experienced in using your powers. That means no more going easy on you." She set her face in a 'bring it on' expression. He shot a more powerful stream of fire at her, and she grinned predatorily. She shoved her hands in front of her, parting the flames around her like a boulder in a river. The blast ended, and she shot her foot out, sending a blast of fire at Sun Boy's head. He ducked and kicked his leg out, sending a wave of flames at her. She leaped over it and snapped her arms out, creating her weapon of choice; fire whips. Sun Boy raised an eyebrow at the flaming whips; they didn't _look_ very dangerous. Suddenly the left whip snapped out, almost catching him in the face. He jerked back, blinking against the sudden heat. Firegirl leaped at him, whips slashing as he tried to fend off her attacks. She crashed into his chest and sent them both tumbling to the ground. It wasn't fun to fight with no flight rings. Or more so, it wasn't fun to hit the ground. Firegirl held Sun Boy to the ground, a fire dagger held at his throat.

He laughed. "Why am I training you again?" He asked. She let go of his collar, offering her hand to him. He let her help him up, patting her on the back.

"Well done, Firegirl. Well done."

* * *

Firegirl stepped out of the training room and was met by the younger Legionnaires' cheers. Chameleon Boy, Nemesis Kid, Karate Kid, Shrinking Violet and Brainy had all been watching, hoping to see someone get severe butt whooping. They hadn't expected it to be Sun Boy whose butt got kicked! They cheered and surged at her, lifting her up on their shoulders and parading her down the hall like some hero. She grinned down at the green boy who was smiling up at her.

"Well, I don't think Sun Boy will be training you again any time soon." Cham said, laughing. Karate Kid and Nemesis Kid were the ones who had hoisted her on their shoulders and they were cheering along with the others. The older Legionnaires just rolled their eyes and went back to their work. But Firegirl felt so happy she thought she would burst from the joy.

* * *

The next morning, she was woken by the morning bell. (Which sounded more like a smoke alarm then a bell) She stumbled groggily into her suit and out the door. She bumped into a smallish person.

"Oops, sorry." She muttered, rubbing her eyes.

"I like your hair." A voice said and she opened her eyes. Brainy was looking up at her with a smile on his face, his green eyes sparkling with laughter. She squeaked and turned to face a mirror. It was true; her hair was a disaster. She slipped into her room and ran her brush through it quickly. It only made it frizzier, but time was something she didn't have as she yanked the frizzy mess into a ponytail. She walked with Brainy to the room where they would eat. She saw the food and felt her stomach drop into her shoes.

"Uh…"

Brainy was spooning something onto his plate that looked like squid tentacles. "It's Raurian Squidbeast. Try it; you might even like it." Brainy put some on her plate, and she let him put the same food he was getting on her plate. Then she saw something that was familiar.

"Are you serious? They have Oreos in the future?" Brainy looked at the black cookies with a grin. "Some things are too good to get rid of." She had already put some on her plate and zipped to a table. Chameleon Boy scooted over to make room for her, and she smiled at him. Brainy felt a sharp pang of some emotion in his chest; was that envy? He sat down on her other side. She was talking animatedly to Nemesis Kid, who listened and watched as she created a small ball of flame to show off her powers.

"Yeah, I can neutralize powers." He said.

She grinned. "I know. You and the other Legionnaires got your butts kicked by that thief with the ray gun. Karate Kid saved you guys."

The said Asian boy smiled. "I was only doing my duty to the Legion." She grinned at him. '_That girl grins more than any creature I know_.' Brainy thought. He picked at his food, not particularly hungry. Firegirl looked down at her food and made a disgusted face.

"Eew. I don't think I like future food." She said, turning a bit green as Cham sucked down a Raurian Squidbeast tentacle with a wink. "Just try one."

She shook her head. "Come on. You're brave enough to take on the Fatal Four and the Legion of Supervillains simultaneously, but you're too chicken to eat Squidbeast?" Shrinking Violet teased. She opened her mouth to object, and Brainy took the opportunity. He popped a small tentacle in her open mouth. She bit down hesitantly and turned absolutely green. She leaped up and ran to the trash incinerator where she spit it out. Her expression turned deadly as everyone burst into laughter.

"Brainy, I'm going to shoot you." She said, still looking queasy. He smiled innocently, and everyone laughed harder. "Legion, time for the day." Cosmic Boy's voice crackled over the intercom, and the Legionnaires all headed out the door.

* * *

"So this is where you will be stationed today. You will be joining Triplicate girl on Navigation. She will teach you how to work the equipment." Cosmic Boy nodded to Triplicate Girl, who smiled at Firegirl. "Hey, I heard you beat Sun Boy in the training room." Triplicate Girl said as Firegirl sat down. She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. He wasn't expecting it, so I guess it counts as a sneak attack." Triplicate laughed, and suddenly all three chairs were full. "Welcome to your first day as an official Legionnaire!"

* * *

Weeks passed.

A month.

Three months.

Six months.

A year.

Time was slipping by so fast; it seemed to be standing still.

And caught in the middle of it all was a human from the 21st century, who was slowly forgetting where she came from and, even more slowly, the insignificant thirteen year old she used to be.

* * *

_Part 2 finished!!! Hope it didn't make you puke up that Raurian Squidbeast you had for Lunch!!! _

_REVIEW PLEASE!!!!_

_Firegirl Over and Out._

_I STILL don't own LoSH. I tried to shove Cos off a cliff, but it didn't work and Brainy yelled at me. So yeah. I'm still only Lab Assistant. _

_But when Brainy takes over as leader- which he totally should someday- I will be second in command!!! So there! (but I still won't own it...)_


	3. Part 1 Chapter 3

_Yola my Legionnaire Buddies!! This is Firegirl, posting the last installment of Chapter One!! (Yeah, this story is insanely long.) Hope you R&R!!!!!!_

_I will someday own... Cosmic Boy, why are you in the Lab? I thought Brainy banned you after the whole 'wrecking Computo' incident._

_Talking about killing me and taking over control of the Legion, huh?! *eyetwitch* TAKE THIS!!!!! *twitchtwitch*_

_*Bang Metallic-Clang Swoosh Boom Slam*_

_I DON'T OWN IT, I DON'T OWN IT!!! _

**

* * *

**

**Chapter One: A New Legionnaire**

_**Part Three: Homecoming**_

"Hey, Firegirl?" A soft voice called. She looked up from her seat in the lounge, and a smile spread across her face. "Hi Brainy! What's up?"

He looked down. She got up and went over to him, looking down at him in concern. "I know that look. Something's wrong, isn't it?"

He nodded. "You've been away from home for a long time. The Fatal Four and the Legion of Supervillains are sitting in Takron Galtos, maximum high security. All threats have been neutralized. We have no reason to keep you here."

She jerked back like he had slapped her. "You want me to go home?" She said softly. He reached out for her, but she pulled back further. "You don't want me here!" She accused.

He looked stricken. "No, that's not it at all! I just think that this extended stay in the 31st century could be harmful to the time stream. Your future could have been completely altered because of this." He said, pleading reason.

She sighed. "I'd be shocked if my future didn't change after this. I've seen so many things that have made me so happy and so proud of humans. It gives me hope that humans can really fix their mistakes and get to a future that is better for everyone." Brainy shrugged. "In some aspects I'm certain it is a better place. But in others…" He stretched his hand towards hers. "One thing the future doesn't have is you." He said as their fingers twined.

She sighed, holding back tears. "And the past doesn't have you." She replied. She flung her arms around him, and they just held each other for a few moments.

"You need to stop growing. It makes me feel very small when a girl who is younger than I is significantly taller." He grumped.

She laughed. "How old are you anyway?" They released each other, and he thought. "I believe in the human measurement of age I am fifteen years of age."

She grinned. "That's only about a year difference. And about one foot." She exaggerated with a wink. They laughed, their earlier conversation discarded, but not forgotten.

* * *

Later that night, Firegirl sat in her room and stared at the ceiling. Her thoughts swirled around in her mind as she traced the patterns on the ceiling with her eyes. _'I'm going home soon.'_She sighed. Suddenly a thought came to her. She popped up, narrowly missing hitting her head on the shelf above her bed. She flew out the door, (even after a year the thrill of flying was still there) and shot down the hall.

"Whoa! Grife FG!!" She hugged the ceiling to avoid slamming into a groggy Lightning Lad's head. She slowed her flight and landed in front of the door she had almost every detail memorized. (She had been kept waiting outside it quite often in the past year) She pounded on it three times slow and three times fast, their secret knock that told the other to hurry up. There was no answer. She leaned her ear against the door to listen for him. Suddenly the door slid open and she lost her balance, falling in headfirst.

"Whoa!" Brainy yelped and caught her, holding her up. "Thanks, Brainy." She said, brushing herself off.

"Why are you disturbing my peace at this hour?" He asked.

She laughed. "Aren't you used to my midnight outings by now? Besides, I had a brilliant, wonderful, fabulous, amazing, splendid idea!" He rolled his eyes and moved aside, letting her past him into his room. She flung herself across his bed, kicking her feet up and facing him. He sat down in his desk chair and folded his hands.

"So, what is this idea of yours?" He asked. Her eyes were shimmering with excitement. "I know that I have to go back. But there isn't a rule that says you can't come back with me! Just for a while, we can have some fun before you… Before you leave me there." She said. Her voice cracked slightly, but she coughed and continued. "You can come back to the moment you left, if you want. The Legion never has to know you stayed for more then a few minutes. Only you, and me." She said softly.

Brainy smiled. "I'll come with you, but only if you show me everything this time. Absolutely everything."

* * *

Brogyn stepped into the time bubble, blinking back tears. "I'll miss you guys." She said. Bouncing Boy was snuffling, and everyone looked sad. She jumped back out and flung her arms around Bouncing Boy's middle. "Bye, kid." He said, ruffling her hair. She embraced Phantom Girl and Saturn Girl who both told her to be safe. She shared one last hug with Violet. She gave a group hug to Cham, Karate Kid and Nemesis Kid. She shook hands with Cosmic Boy and Timber Wolf. She turned to Lightning Lad and gave him a quick, awkward sideways hug. She winked at Sun Boy and grasped his hand, both of their hands blazing in their signature fiery handshake. She waved to Star Boy, Colossal Boy, Element Lad, Blok and all the others. Then she turned and stepped into the time bubble. Then the world she had come to love, to call her home, disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

They stepped out of the bubble in her room. She looked in the mirror and frowned; she was thirteen again, she could tell. She was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing the day she met Brainy, and she looked just like the girl who was kidnapped to the 31st century almost a year before. She looked around her room; it was exactly the same, right down to the huge pile of Fullmetal Alchemist books on the dresser and the pajamas thrown across the bed. "Wow. Talk about Déjà vu." She said quietly. There was a thudding noise above their heads, and Brogyn rushed up the stairs.

"Braden, give it back!" Skyler screamed, throwing herself at the lanky eleven year old. He cackled and ran for the stairs, holding the doll hostage. Brogyn flew out of the basement at the same moment, and they crashed heads. They both winced and rubbed their heads.

"Sorry, Brogyn!" Braden said in a small voice. She looked at her brother with his wide eyes, his wild hair. Her sister, eyes red from tears and her hair tangled from no brushing. Then she pulled them both into a group hug and kissed their heads. "I missed you guys." She said softly.

"Brogyn, it's been like, three hours." Braden said, wiggling out from her embrace. "It seems like a lot longer, Be." She said even more softly. Skyler snuggled into her sister's embrace and popped her thumb in her mouth. "Good to see you, Sky." Brogyn said, stroking the six-year-old's hair. The garage door opened, and Brogyn's Mother walked through the door, fumbling through her purse for her phone. "Mom!" Brogyn attack-hugged her, burying her face in her mother's shoulder. "I missed you so much!" Kimberly looked bewildered. "We were gone for two and a half hours at the pool, Brogyn. You didn't want to go because you were mad at us." Brogyn stepped back, smiling. "Yeah, I was mad. But I guess I got over it." Kimberly blinked as Brogyn ran through the door and flung herself into her father's arms.

"Why are you so happy to see us?" He asked. She shrugged, but her eyes were smarting with tears. "I guess it seemed more like a year than three hours."

Brainy watched the family embrace and closed his eyes. This was where she belonged; this was what was best for her.

This was best for her.

* * *

Brogyn spent the rest of the day playing dolls with her sister, playing war with her brother, helping her mother in the kitchen and talking with her father. When it was time for them to sleep, Brogyn went down to her room and fell flat on the bed.

"I'm glad to see that you are so happy." A voice said, and she whirled around. Brainy was sitting in the fuzzy pink chair again.

"Oh, Brainy! It seems like when I have one thing I'm happy, but then I remember how much I want the other! It's making my head spin." She said, dropping face-first into the pillow. "Hey, is it possible to make me be in two places at once?" She asked, her voice muffled.

He shrugged. "I can make a holographic clone. It would look, act, sound, even think like you. They would never know the difference between you, if that is what you're getting at."

She nodded, a slight smile creeping across her face. "Well then, tomorrow I say we put this clone to work. I have a world to show you. By the way, you're sleeping in the Lair tonight." She said, and steered him towards the door.

"When will we begin our touring tomorrow?" She shrugged. "When we wake up, eat and get this clone working." He nodded and sat down on the matress in the small computer room. Brogyn ran a hand over the computer on the desk and smiled as it hummed. "I never even turned it off." She wiggled the mouse, and the story she had been working on popped onto the screen. "I never closed out of my story." She looked at the title and started; it was a story about her becoming a Legionnaire. She smiled: maybe wishes and destiny weren't so foolish after all.

She jumped up on the matress and looked at the posters hung on the wall; almost a hundred pictures of the Jonas Brothers. "I missed you guys." She said softly, running her hand over the crackling paper. Her hand stopped on one very large poster of Nick Jonas and she smiled as she looked at his familiar face.

"Night Brainy." She said and leaped out the door. Brainy looked up at the pictures with a feeling of apprehension. It seemed like they were watching him. He slipped under the blanket and turned his back on the hundreds of eyes that were staring at him from the walls.

* * *

She sat down on her bed and suddenly a black streak shot up and landed on her stomach. "Twister! You crazy cat, I missed you!" She said, cuddling him. He purred and meowed, like he had missed her too. She pulled on her pajamas, already falling back into the old routine, and jumped in bed. She could hear music playing softly through the wall, and she knew Brainy was listening to 'There's Us' again. She felt drowsiness taking her, and she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

The sun woke Brogyn, and she sat up groggily. "Your hair looks like a haystack." A voice said, and she looked groggily at the door. Brainy was standing, fully dressed in 21st century clothes, at the door.

"Ha ha. Just because you look like some green supermodel doesn't mean I have to."

He rolled his eyes. "These are your brother's clothes, by the way."

She pulled an outfit out of her drawer and shooed him out before pulling it on and brushing her hair into her frizzy ponytail. She looked in the mirror and sighed. She was just an ordinary girl now. Well, an ordinary girl with superpowers. But the absence of her Legion Uniform made her feel oddly empty. She opened the door and found herself facing another mirror. "Aaugh!" She squeaked and jerked back.

Brainy laughed. "Brogyn, meet your holographic clone." She looked at it in doubt. She certainly looked just like her. But her clothes were different, as she didn't own two of the exact same outfit. "Does it know what I'm like?"

Brainy nodded. "Yes _she_ does. I downloaded your memories into _her_." Suddenly he clamped his hand over his mouth. Brogyn squawked in indignation. "You stole my memories?!" She accused. He shook his head. "Not exactly. I _copied_your memories. It was necessary for the clone!"

She rolled her eyes. "Let's see…" She stepped up to the clone and cleared her throat. The clone looked at her with a perfect 'Back-off-you're-bugging-me' Brogyn look. "What is the worst law you can possibly break in the Night World?"

Brainy frowned; this was an unexpected and random question. But the clone just sighed. "Please; that's amateur stuff. Falling in love with a human. Duh."

Brogyn blinked. "Wow. She's good. But we should call her something other then Brogyn; how about… Zerra maybe?"

The Clone grinned. "Sure, although Avatar is a little outdated. I am you after all; I know where that came from." She stuck her hand out, and Brogyn moved to shake it. Her hand went right through the clone's hand. "Hm. Better hope no one hugs me today." She said, raising her eyebrow.

"Oops, my bad." Zerra suddenly went fuzzy around the edges, and then she shook Brogyn's hand with no problem. "Brogyn! Hurry up!" Kimberly shouted down the stairs. "Coming!" Both Brogyn's shouted in unison. The clone saluted them with a wink and took off up the stairs, her feet suddenly making noise as Brainy reactivated her solidity.

"Shall we?" He offered his arm to Brogyn, and she looped hers through it. "Of course." They activated their stealth belts and snuck up the stairs.

* * *

"First, just so you can go out in public without getting weird looks." Brogyn had brought him up to her parent's large master bathroom. She pulled out a small container of tan cream.

"What is _that_?" He asked, eyeing the stuff warily.

"You can't go out in the 21st century green. I couldn't care less, but this is just for safety precautions." She popped open the container and pulled out a small circular foamy pad. "But what is it?" He asked as she dabbed the pad in the mixture. "Technically it's called cover-up. It hides blemishes on the skin. But in your case it's going to be more like Halloween makeup. You get to be a normal human for the day." She began to rub his cheek with the pad, and he frowned.

"Will your mother know why it has gone missing?" She shrugged. "No, Mom doesn't use this shade. She bought it and it turned out to be too dark for her skin. She was going to throw it away, almost brand new. We're just putting it to a better use."

Every few minutes, she would step away and look him up and down. Then she would go in with the pad and rub a spot on his skin. After almost half and hour, she stepped back and set down the now half empty container. "You're done."

He turned to look in the mirror and blinked in surprise; his skin was a warm, creamy tan. "I suppose tanning lotion would have had a more permanent effect, but we're not really shooting for permanent." He turned to face her and she grinned.

"I better hold on to you tight if we go to the mall."

"What?"

She winked. "Other girls are going to be checking you out."

"Why?"

She smiled. "Because you're hot." He held his hand to his forehead and then against hers. "No I'm not. I am the same temperature as you." She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. "We'll have to fly to the mall, considering I can't drive and you technically can't either."

* * *

They deactivated their stealth belts and walked out from behind the tree. "Ok, I have some money I have saved up for something fun. And this is going to be about as fun as it gets!" Brogyn dragged him through the mall, searching for the perfect outfit for him. They were in JC Penny when Brogyn suddenly squealed. "Oh this is perfect!" She pulled out a red button down feather shirt and sweater. Brainy looked at it with a look of doubt. "I don't know…" She shoved it in his hands along with a pair of brown jeans and sneakers. "Come on. You can't wear my brother's clothes all day." He rolled his eyes and went into the changing room. Brogyn plopped herself into a chair and picked up a _Popstar_ magazine and began to flip through it.

* * *

Brainy observed himself in the mirror, not sure if the clothes fit or not. He walked out of the changing area and found Brogyn sitting in a chair with her head stuck in a magazine. "Ahem." He coughed, and she looked up. He saw a pink tinge spread across her cheeks.

"Wow. If we buy that you're going to be beating girls off with a stick." She said with a shy grin.

He frowned. "I do not understand; why would I be hitting girls with a stick?" She laughed and shoved him through the door, telling him to change back. They bought the clothes and walked out of the store, Brogyn trying her hardest not to stare at him. He looked like a normal human; a normal, incredibly _cute _human.

"Brogyn! Brogyn!" Suddenly someone was yelling her name, and she turned around. "I haven't seen you in forever! It's like you were dead all summer! I thought Gluttony ate you!"

Brogyn's best friend Lexa Ranel rushed up, eyes shining. "Lexa! I missed you too!" Brogyn flung her arms around her, grinning. Lexa let go of her and raised her eyebrows at the boy standing beside her.

"Oh, this is my friend…" Brogyn looked at Brainy with a 'help please' expression.

"Querl!" He said, using his real name. Brogyn winced; Lexa surely wouldn't be fooled. She was as big a fan of the Legion of Superheroes as Brogyn was!

"That's your name?" Lexa looked doubtful. "Yes. Querl Dox." He said and held his hand out to her. She shook it, still looking like she didn't believe him. "My name came from… Switzerland." Brainy said. Lexa frowned as Brogyn nodded, having just smacked her head again.

"Well, I have to go. Don't have too much fun, Brogyn. Also, you will be explaining this to me someday." She said with a knowing grin. She ran off to join her mom, and Brogyn steered Brainy towards the nearest exit. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"Let's just go before anyone else I know shows up." She muttered, and soon they were flying invisible back to her house.

* * *

The day was cool and cloudy when the two Legionnaires clambered over Brogyn's backyard fence.

"Why aren't we just flying?" Brainy asked as Brogyn leaped down in front of him.

"Because it's good for your ego to have to walk." She said, turning and moving out of his way. He moved to climb down and slipped off the top of the splintery wooden fence. "Aaugh!" He hit the center of Brogyn's back, making them both fall in a heap on the ground.

"Nice job, Grace." Brogyn muttered sarcastically before turning and helping him up.

"Well, what are we going to do next?" Brainy asked, brushing himself off. Brogyn had picked up a small white flower and was twirling it between her fingers.

"What is that flower named? There was a patch of it where I slept at the park that night." She handed him one of the small white flowers. "It's beautiful." He said, holding it close to his face and observing it.

"It's actually a weed. It's called Bind Weed because it binds everything together and makes it hard for plants to grow." Brogyn said, tucking one of the flowers behind her ear.

"Well, it's a beautiful weed then." He said haughtily. "I agree. Let's see…Well, now we have our song, our flower, oh, and I know the perfect thing for our secret place!"

He frowned. "Why do we need one exactly?"

"Do you want to see it or not?" He shrugged.

"Well, come on then!"

They ended up in her garage. "Why are we in your garage, Brogyn?" Brainy asked. She was pulling a huge ladder from the wall and securing it against the opposite wall. "Come on, climb on up!" She clambered up the ladder and disappeared from Brainy's view. Suddenly her head appeared through a gap in the boards in the ceiling.

"Well? Are you scared?" He set his jaw and scurried up the ladder. He poked his head above the boards and raised his eyebrows in surprise; there was a whole room up here! "So, is this secret enough?" She asked, sitting comfortably on an old mattress draped across the rafters.

"Wow. Did you build this?" He asked, ducking under a supporting beam and sitting down on the portion of the mattress separated by the rafter beside her. "Yeah, Dad and I made it. Braden and Mom helped a little, but mostly me and Dad." He nodded. There were a few moments of comfortable silence.

"I keep trying to forget; but then it hits me like a splash of cold water." She said softly. She looked over at him, her expression suddenly sad.

"What does?" He asked, turning on his side to face her. "That you're leaving soon." She said.

He looked down. "But I can come visit."

She bit her lip. "You're a Legionnaire. You have duties to the Legion. I'm not as important as they are." She looked away, chewing her lip harder.

"Yes you are." He replied softly, hoping she wasn't going to cry.

"No, I'm not. I don't know why you bother spending time with me anyway. I'm not beautiful like Saturn Girl, I'm not fun like Phantom Girl, I'm not as perky as Triplicate Girl, I'm not smart like Vi; I'm just a clumsy, ordinary girl from the 21st century. No one as amazing and special as you should have never even noticed me." Her voice cracked a little, and she sat up and put her head against her knees to hide her tears from him. He frowned and made a humming noise under his breath.

"That's funny. I was always wondering why you thought I was so special. I'm just smart. I can hardly even fight with the rest of the Legion sometimes. And you _are _beautiful." He said gently.

"Do you really think so?" She asked, turning her head to look sideways at him.

He smiled hesitantly. "You know, you make my heart do strange things, Brogyn." He said.

She felt her heart speed up. "How so?"

"When I am around you, I feel very, very happy. When I am not with you, I feel sad and… empty. When you are very close to me, I feel like there is a Squidbeast doing little flips inside my stomach. And right now… my heart is beating much faster than should be healthy."

She smiled weakly. "Yours too?" She asked, laughing shakily. Suddenly his face was very close to hers, his pale green eyes boring into hers.

"I have never done this before, but I believe I know how it is done." He said softly. She wanted to close her eyes and let him kiss her, but instead she backed up, shaking her head.

"Brainy, you know I'm thirteen again, right?" She said, a bit breathless from lack of breathing. He looked down. "I am sorry for intruding in your 'bubble'. I will not do it again." She sighed and tried to calm her frenzied heart.

"Come on, let's go down." She clambered down the ladder, neither of them speaking. "I should be…" He began, but stopped.

"Leaving." She finished sadly. "But I can stay longer, if you'd like." He amended.

She smiled sadly. "Well, we have to go and swing one more time."

* * *

She grabbed a silver helmet hanging on the wall and the red vehicle she had brought when she met him there the first time they had been together.

"Why not just fly?" He asked as she handed him a black helmet and pointed to a blue and silver vehicle. "Because this is fun and, once again, good for your ego."

He hesitantly swung his leg over the seat as she had, trying not to get his new clothing caught. She pushed off the ground and pedaled, and he did the same. His feet were met by resistance, and he toppled over. "Ow!" He rubbed his knee where it hit the ground and muttered under his breath.

"Come on, try one more time." Brogyn urged, smiling encouragingly. He obeyed, and soon got the knack of it. "Lead on."

She pedaled out of the street and up another, and Brainy puffed and huffed behind her as they rode up a hill. Then there was a huge downhill. She flew down it at breakneck speeds, whooping with glee, and he used the brakes the whole time and crept down at a snails pace. She was waiting at a small turnoff, and they ended up in the same park where Brainy had spent the night. They parked the vehicles (bikes, he found out they were called) and Brogyn dashed to the swings again. Brainy sat down on his swing and they pushed off. She didn't jump off that time (to his relief) and soon she decided they had been swinging long enough.

"So, do you think you can climb that tree now?" She asked. He looked up the trunk and set his jaw. He reached up and grabbed the lowest branch and pulled with all his strength. His feet scrabbled against the rough bark of the trunk, and he hung in midair for a few moments before his strength failed and he landed on the ground hard.

"Or not." She teased. He stood up, rubbing his hip where he had landed. She turned around and suddenly froze, the bubbling laughter dying in her throat. "Hey Brogyn! I didn't know you lived near here." A boy with a round face, small mouth and fuzzy light brown hair was smiling at her.

"Oh, um… Hey Damon. Why are you all the way on our end of town?" She asked, not meeting his eyes and turning— to Brainy's horror— bright red.

"My mom is coaching little kid soccer, and they're playing down there." He nodded at the field where there were kids running around after a ball. "We're going to lunch after, that's why I came." Brainy had appeared at her side, still rubbing his side from his fall, and Damon looked at him in curiosity.

"Who is this?" He asked. Brainy made a face of pain, still rubbing his injured hip. "This is my friend Querl." Brogyn said. Damon raised an eyebrow.

"His parents are from Switzerland." She said, not having the creativity to make a new story.

"And he's your… friend?"

She nodded, not looking at either of them. Brainy, who was now in a very bad mood, huffed and crossed his arms, his fingers itching to hit the stealth button on his belt so he could fly off. "Yes. I am Brogyn's friend. And Brogyn's friend is leaving." He grabbed the vehicle and got on, riding off at a wobbling pace.

"One second, Damon." She said apologetically. She ran after Brainy, catching him easily. "Brainy, stop. Come on, just calm down." She stood in front of his bike, holding the handlebars and keeping him from moving.

"Why don't you go talk to _him_." He said with an angry expression.

"Oh, Brainy. You know you'll always be my number one. My friend from the future. My Brainy."

He looked down. "May I go back to our secret place please?" He asked softly. She sighed and moved out of his way and he rode on, hiding tears from her.

* * *

Brogyn walked back up and sat down on the bench and dropped her head in her hands with a sigh.

"It sucks when friends fight, huh?" Damon sat down on the bench next to her.

"That's one way to put it." She muttered.

"So, how long have you two known each other?" She sighed; she didn't need any more brain pain then was necessary.

"A year." He nodded.

"How did you meet?" She closed her eyes, her head beginning to pound.

"Damon, why does it matter." She mumbled. He shrugged. "Oh, my mom is calling; the game must be over." He said. "Hey, do you want to come to lunch with us? You could run home and ask you're folks, and we could all go together." He asked.

She sighed again. A few months ago, this would have been a dream come true. Lunch with her childhood crush. But now, she wasn't so sure.

"Thanks, Damon. But I have to get home, and Querl wouldn't be happy if I abandoned him in the middle of the day." He shrugged and walked off with a wave, and she got on her bike and rode home.

* * *

When she got home, she saw that the ladder had been pushed away from the wall. "Brainy, I know you're up there." She thought she heard a sniffle from the rafters.

"I'm coming up now." She resituated the ladder and clambered up. When she lifted her head up she saw his blonde hair poking out from behind the mattress.

"You ok?"

He ducked down, his hair disappearing. She sighed. "Brainy..."

She leaned on the mattress and looked over. He was sitting cross legged with his back to her. "Come on, let's go fly around some. That always makes you feel better." She grabbed his hand, and he looked at her. There were two thin streaks in the tan on his cheeks, his true green showing through.

"Brainy, what's wrong?" She asked, realizing he had been crying. "Brogyn I need to go home soon." He said softly. She looked away. "Oh. I see." He stood up and stepped over the mattress, sliding down the ladder and disappearing into the sky.

"Wait!"

She ran out of the garage, and was blown back by the wind as he blasted off. "Brainy!" She shouted, but he was flying faster then he had ever flown before, and he was gone in an instant.

* * *

She sat down on her bed and dropped her head in her hands. She was glad her clone was playing her right then. She lay flat and stretched out on her bed, staring at the low ceiling.

"Brogyn?" She popped up, looking towards the door. Zerra was standing there. "He's looking for you."

Brogyn stood and hugged the clone. "You were so great. Thank you." Zerra smiled. "Yeah well, it was fun. But I'm not real." She suddenly disappeared and Brainy was standing there. "I must return, Brogyn."

She looked down, holding her tears in. "I will return to visit you someday; I promise." She nodded, not meeting his eyes. He slid his fingers under her chin and made her look over (and slightly down) at him. "Goodbye, Brogyn. I will always remember the way I feel about you." He stepped forward and suddenly she found herself in a lip lock with Brainiac Five. As suddenly as he had kissed her he drew back, smiling slightly.

"Goodbye." She grabbed him and hugged him tightly, not wanting to let him go. Then they finally released each other. "Tell Cham and Vi I'll miss them." Brogyn said weakly. Brainy smiled sadly and pressed a button.

Then he disappeared in a bubble of light.

* * *

_Brogyn went back to her normal life; or as normal as she could make it seem. She never forgot Brainiac Five, and she didn't know that she would be needed almost a year later, or that the very existence of the Legion of Superheroes would eventually depend on her. _

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

* * *

_Well, chapter One if FINALLY finished, hoped you liked it!!!_

_Please Review!!!!!!_

_~Firegirl~_


	4. Part 2 Chapter 1

_So my loyal readers (yeah right, I doubt anyone has even read this story) this is the first chapter of the second chapter, if that makes any sense. I had super long chapters, so I had to split each chapter into chapters. _

_**Chapter Two: Firegirl Returns**_

_**Part one: Savior**_

Fourteen year old Brogyn was sleeping peacefully, dreaming about nonsense as usual. She didn't see the figure drop into her room and place a small flat hologram projector on her dresser and set it to play when she awoke. Then the figure disappeared out the window.

Brogyn was jerked awake by a rude crackling sound. She looked around blearily, and soon located the source of the offending noise. A small flat machine was sitting on her dresser, and a beam of light was shooting up from it.

"Hello Firegirl." A voice said. "You are a member of the Legion of Superheroes. You have information that I want. And I believe that I have something you want."

Suddenly an image appeared, and she gasped. "Brogyn, don't listen to him…" A faint voice said shakily. Brainiac Five was looking pleadingly at her from some kind of chamber, his arms chained to the wall above his head. A small trickle of blood had dried on his cheek, and his light blonde hair was dirty and matted. Suddenly he jerked back, his face screwed up in pain, and he cried out in agony. Brogyn could see the electricity jumping along the metal shackles.

"Brainy!" She cried, reaching out to him. His head slumped forward against his chest, and he fell limp in his chains.

"Three days."

* * *

Brogyn had to clear her head after the frightening message, and the fresh smell of rain helped her sort out her jumbled thoughts. She was walking around the block when suddenly she realized a man in a black hooded sweatshirt was following her.

So she ran.

She raced around a corner, sliding in a puddle as she skidded across the wet ground. Her breath came in short gasps; her heart was pounding like a drum. There was no sound of her pursuer, but she knew he was there. She could feel the strength leaving her limbs as she ran, and her lungs were burning. Suddenly a hand gripped her wrist, and she was jerked back. She pounded her fist against the man's shoulder, succeeding only in hurting her hand. There was a metallic echoing sound as she slammed her fist against his right shoulder.

"No, no, let me go!" She cried, trying to get free.

"Grife, Firegirl, calm down before you wake up the whole neighborhood! I'm not going to hurt you!" A familiar voice said. She looked up into the face of her capturer and gasped. He had a scraggly red beard, shaggy red hair and brilliant blue eyes with a scar running down the right eye.

"Lightning Lad?"

"Lightning Lad! How did you find me? Why are you here? Did anyone else come with you? Is Vi here? Did you send me that hologram? Where's Brainy?" She asked, pouring out questions.

"Hey, chill out there, fireball; I don't want you to spontaneously combust or anything. I'm here on Legion business."

Brogyn frowned. "Why? Is the Legion in trouble?"

He looked down. "Not the Legion. One Legionnaire in particular."

She realized she already knew whom he was talking about. "It's Brainy, isn't it?"

He nodded. "He's gone missing, and we think he might be in trouble."

Brogyn pulled out the hologram and handed it to Lightning Lad. "He _is_ in trouble." He watched the hologram with weary eyes, as if it only confirmed his fears.

"Why does this guy want information on us?" Brogyn asked.

Lightning Lad's expression turned dark. "He could turn all our secrets, all our battle strategies, everything we have against us. Why wouldn't he want it?"

* * *

There was a light on one side of the Legion Lobby, and all heads turned towards it.

"Firegirl!" Violet leaped up and flung her arms around the girl as she stepped out of the time bubble.

"Vi! It's great to see you!" She hugged her friend, and soon she was surrounded by Legionnaires laughing, slapping her high fives, hugging her and all trying to be heard over the others.

"Have you heard what happened to Brainy?" Violet yelled in her ear, and the atmosphere changed very suddenly.

"Yeah, I heard. I know where he is; and I came to get him back." Firegirl replied. Cheers erupted through the Legion, and suddenly another time bubble appeared. Saturn Girl stepped out of it with a very muscular man in blue and red behind her.

"Superman!" The Legion mobbed him as well, leaving Firegirl standing feeling awkward.

"Well hello. Who are you?" Superman was suddenly standing over her, looking down at her through kind blue eyes.

"Oh, hi. I'm Firegirl." She said, holding out her hand and blushing slightly. He shook it, and she winced at his strong grip.

"Hey Supes; did you hear about Brainy?" Timber Wolf asked in his husky voice.

Superman nodded, his expression pained. "I want to help get him back."

There was another flash, and Cham appeared.

"Firegirl!" He leaped down and attack hugged her, his arms going stretchy and winding around her twice.

"Hey Cham! Where were you?" Another very muscular man, this on is dark blue, stepped out.

"What is our plan for recovering Brainiac Five?" He said, all business.

"Good to see you too, Kel." Lightning Lad said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"I'm serious. We have to have a plan!" His green and black eyes met Firegirl's, and she looked away, unable to meet his fierce gaze.

"Have you been holding Legion Auditions, Lightning Lad?" He asked, and Firegirl suddenly burst into a fit of giggles at Lightning Lad's expression.

"Is this _kid_ serious enough to come on this mission?" Kel-El asked.

Firegirl's expression turned icy. "I'm not coming, Kel-El. I'm leading this mission."

The clone scowled. "Why should we let you lead? You're most likely just an irresponsible, disobedient and probably reckless teenager."

Violet came to Firegirl's defense. "She is the one the message was for, and she knows Brainy better then any of us. Even you, Superman." The man of steel blinked, as if he was surprised that anyone knew Brainy better then him.

"She'll do anything to make sure we get out with Brainy. She won't stop until he's safe." Firegirl felt her heart swell; she had missed being praised and treated like she mattered. Kel-El finally shrugged and nodded reluctantly.

"Fine, whatever. Let's start planning. We only have three days."

* * *

Firegirl slipped the ring onto her finger and felt an overwhelming feeling of sadness and happiness at the same time. She was back in the place she had come to call home, and she was with her friends again.

Or, most of them.

Brainiac Five— her best friend in the whole universe (technically he was her boyfriend), all times in the time stream considered— was gone. She felt a smile pull at the corners of her mouth despite her sadness.

"I'm coming for you, Brainy. I'm coming, and I'm bringing the Cavalry!"

* * *

"I am going to ask you one more time, Brainiac Five. What is the importance of this girl? How much does she know?" Imperiac Six demanded.

"Never." Brainy hissed.

"You will regret defying me once again, boy." The small but deadly robot stood over him, frowning down and looking menacing.

"I beat you once and I will do it again." Brainy said weakly.

Imperiac suddenly smiled. "But this time you are alone. Very much alone." His robotic arm suddenly shot out, catching Brainy in the ribs. There was a sickening crack, and one of the guards winced. Brainy tried to draw a deep calming breath, but all he got was a shallow one before the pain shot through his chest, and he blacked out to the sound of Imperiac's mechanical laughter.

* * *

At last a plan was formed. They would be waiting at Superman's Arctic Fortress of Solitude, armed and ready for battle. It was still two days until their time was up, and everyone was nervous and stressed out. Firegirl had changed into her old Legion Uniform, and her hair hung in its familiar wild curls as she paced around her room.

"Come on, FG. Calm down." Shrinking Violet said soothingly. But Firegirl continued her pacing, seeming not to have heard her friend.

Violet stood up and put her hand on the pacing girl's shoulder, making her stop. "He's going to be fine. He's in capable hands."

Firegirl looked at her friend with an expression of doubt. "And whose 'capable hands' might those be?"

Violet smiled gently and patted her shoulder. "Yours."

* * *

The Legion flew down from the Legion Cruiser, shooting past the towering walls of ice. Firegirl led the V formation, her hand clenching and unclenching around the ring on her finger to try to calm herself down. The Legion swooped down and landed silently in the fortress.

"I see you have brought some playmates with you, Firegirl. As have I." Suddenly dozens of robots de-cloaked, surrounding the Legion and outnumbering them at least a dozen to one.

"If you tell them to go back to the cruiser, I will not harm them." Firegirl set her jaw; she would play his way.

For now.

"Go on guys. I can handle this." She said softly. They went grudgingly, escorted by over six robots a piece. They knew they would have a better chance in the cruiser, armed with the laser cannons and blasters; they wouldn't stay quiet for long.

Firegirl faced the direction the voice had come from. "Are we ready to play?"

A face came into view out of the shadows, and Firegirl gritted her teeth. "I thought you were floating in space somewhere, Brainiac 1.0."

The robot smiled, and it sent shivers down Firegirl's spine. "I go by a different name now; Imperiac 6."

She glared at him. "You give me Brainy, and I'll give you the information."

The robot's smile turned very nasty. "I believe I will be setting the terms, as I am at the advantage."

Firegirl scowled deeper. "Fine. What are your terms?"

Imperiac landed in front of her, coming up to about her shoulder. "You will allow me to sweep your mind for all Legion related material, and then I will give you the boy."

Firegirl sighed, trying not to make a sarcastic 'yeah right' remark. "What if I refuse?"

Imperiac flicked his hand, and a guard dragged a limp figure into view.

"Brainy!" Firegirl cried. He looked up, and his mouth turned up slightly.

"I told him you would come for me." He wheezed. The guard looked at his master inquiringly. Imperiac nodded, and the guard nudged Brainy in the side with his foot. It wasn't hard at all, but Brainy gasped in pain and clutched his torso, falling over and curling into a ball as he struggled for breath.

Firegirl felt tears beginning to sting her eyes. "Stop! Don't hurt him! I'll give you what you want." She knelt down in front of Imperiac.

"No! Please, you can't-" Brainy was attacked by a sudden bought of coughing, and Firegirl saw the blood seeping out from between his fingers.

"Wait. Before you do the mind sweep, I have one term." Imperiac grimaced, but stopped.

"You must fully heal all of Brainiac Five's injuries before we leave."

The robot nodded with a scowl. "Very well human. I will do as you wish."

* * *

Firegirl felt tears coming as the robot placed his hand on her head. This could be the end of the Legion; and it would be all her fault. As the cold metal fingers flattened against her head, an idea sprang into her mind. As if it had been planned, she burst into the hottest flame she could muster; hot enough to melt even Coluan armor.

"Aaugh!" Imperiac 6 screeched in pain, waving his half-melted hand in the air. Firegirl blasted off fireballs of the same superheated white fire, swallowing the robot in its flames. When she stopped, Imperiac 6 was nothing more then a pile of melted metal in the ground.

"Let's see you evolve out of _that_!" She snapped triumphantly. There was the sound of a laser cannon charging behind her, and she whirled around to find the guard aiming a cannon at Brainy.

"You shouldn't have done that to the master." He said, and the cannon lit Brainy's green skin with a sickly purple glow. Firegirl raced forward, a fireball already formed in her palm. But the man was faster, and he fired.

"NO!!!!" Firegirl screamed. She caught one last glimpse of Brainy before the flash momentarily blinded her. The man dropped his gun and ran, and she pursued with tears steaming off of her face as she heated up with rage. She flew after him and caught him with no difficulty. She grabbed his shirt and lifted him into the air with her. He yelped in fear as she changed directions suddenly, flying up a frozen shaft to the top of the fortress. She stood on the very edge of one of the pinnacles, holding him out in front of her. She was flaming dimly, and there was a scorch mark on his shirt from the heat of her hand.

"I was just following orders!" He cried, his eyes wide with fear. His confidence had evaporated completely.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you killed my best friend. MY BEST FRIEND!" She shouted in his face. She saw the Legion Cruiser above her blasting robots out of the sky as they scrambled around, dysfunctional now that their mainframe was destroyed.

"You killed him. Why shouldn't I let you fall?" She hissed. "I'll answer my own question; there is absolutely no reason I shouldn't kill you."

And she let him fall.

* * *

The robots suddenly all jerked with an electric jolt and started running into each other and flying around randomly. They were easy targets for the Legion's blaster cannons. When they had taken care of the bots, they turned down to pick up Firegirl and Brainy. When they saw her standing on the top of the fortress holding a terrified man over the edge, they were puzzled. Violet zoomed in on Firegirl's face and felt a flash of fear. The eyes of her friend were blazing with a strange and terrifying inner fire, and she was shaking with rage. She looked angrier then any person Violet had ever seen before. Suddenly the speakers came on.

"Firegirl, this is Lightning Lad. I need you to put the man down, and we'll take care of him." Suddenly the anger and rage in her eyes flared up and she exploded into flame. The man shrieked as he plummeted down, and Kel-El streaked off to catch him. Firegirl was gone; Violet realized she must have burned a hole straight through the ice. Several of the Legionnaires flew out to find her.

* * *

Firegirl felt the ice disappearing beneath her, and she let her anger fuel the fire. When she hit rock beneath the main room floor, she was burning so hot she could have melted anything. She floated right above the floor in the hall flaming like the devil himself. Then she saw Brainy's limp figure lying on the floor and she screamed in anguish. But the sound that came out was more like a monstrous roar that was amplified by the ice and the flames surrounding her. When the fire in her heart was gone, she dropped to her knees in the crater in the rock formed by her flames. She was trembling, the tears turning to steam as they came tumbling down her cheeks. She crawled across the floor to Brainy's side, stumbling over the rocks that had been revealed by the heat. She knew why there was a patch of ice beneath him while everything around him was now a melted mess; her fire had consciously avoided his small body. She saw the scorch mark on his left shoulder where the canon had shot him. She put her arms around him and drew him close to her, holding him as she shook with sobs. There was the sound of flying feet and Shrinking Violet, Phantom Girl, Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad stopped in the entry and stared in awe at the devastation before them. Violet saw Firegirl crouching on the other side of the hall. The material of her suit was only fireproof to a certain temperature, and there were large patches of cloth burned away. She floated to Firegirl's side and placed a hand on her bare shoulder. She yelped as her friend's skin burned her. Firegirl looked up at her, and Violet winced at the expression of hopelessness on her friend's face.

"It was my fault." She whispered. Violet looked down at the small figure she was holding in her arms. Violet felt tears begin to fall from her eyes as well, and she knelt down next to Firegirl. Brainy's skin was blue with chill despite the recent blast of heat, and his skin was cool to the touch. His shoulder was scorched, the mark of a Laser Cannon blast. His hair was wet from Firegirl's tears. Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl and Phantom Girl floated over, and their expressions of shock and sorrow mirrored Violet's tears.

"Come on, Firegirl. We'll take him back to the ship." Violet said softly. She slung Firegirl's arm, still steaming, over her shoulder and flew her back to the ship. Lightning Lad lifted Brainy up into his strong arms and they flew back to the Legion Cruiser.

* * *

Superman flew to the door to meet them, excited about seeing his friend again after almost three years. The sliding door opened, and Violet came through supporting a very ragged looking Firegirl. Her suit was in tatters, the edges burned. She seemed unconscious, but when the two girls brushed past him and his cape swept across her bare feet, her eyes shot open.

"Superman! I'm sorry. Tell him I'm sorry." She gasped, blue eyes wide. "I tried to stop them, but I couldn't…"

Violet pulled her away, her face sad. Then the doors opened again, and Lightning Lad floated through, flanked by Phantom Girl and Saturn Girl. In his arms was a small person with green skin. Superman felt as if the ground had been rudely jerked out from under his feet while he was under a red sun.

"Is he…" Superman was hesitant to finish his sentence.

"His chances are pretty slim." Saturn Girl replied as Phantom Girl opened the door to the healing chamber. She rested a hand on his shoulder, and he clenched his fist. They both approached the healing chamber viewing panel and watched Lightning Lad and Phantom Girl laid Brainy on the cold metal table and hooked him into the equipment.

* * *

_DUH DUH DUH!!!!! Ha ha, Cliff Hanger!!! Heeheehee!!_

_Hope you liked it, please R&R!!! (I really do read all my reviews and it gives me a huge rush when I get them! Then I'm all hyper for an hour because I got a story hit/ a story review!)_

_~Firegirl~_

_Wow. That was a mouthful._

_No Duh, I don't own the Legion of Superheroes because Cosmic Boy is STILL alive... Don't worry, I'm not killing him off!_

_Yet. _

_MWA HA HA HA HA!!!_

_Anyway, R&R PLEEZ!!! And Enjoy!_

**_

* * *

_**


	5. Part 2 Chapter 2

_Here's Chapter two, R&R Pleez!_

_I don't own LoSH, you all know it._

* * *

**_Chapter Two: Firegirl Returns_**

**_Part Two: Life and Love_**

Firegirl fell into bed and was asleep before she hit the pillow. She slept hard and long, and no dreams penetrated the dark blanket of her sleep. When she awoke, the Legion Cruiser was docked in the port in New Metropolis. She sat up and realized she was no longer wearing her tattered Legion uniform; instead she was dressed in a soft white shirt and white pants. She blushed as she wondered who had changed her, and staggered out of bed and into the hall. She tripped over her own feet as she rounded a corner.

"Whoa!" Someone caught her as she fell, and she banged her shoulder on a hard metal arm.

"Firegirl! Violet had been itching for you to wake up. She's in the lobby of the Legion Tower right now."

Firegirl stood up weakly with Lightning Lad's assistance. "Thanks, Lightning Lad." She said faintly, and floated off down the hall.

When Firegirl floated into the lobby, she was met by silence.

"Firegirl! Firegirl!" Violet flew at her and attack hugged her.

"Hey, Vi." She replied. Violet looked into her eyes and saw the deep blue had been dulled to a foggy grey with sadness. That scared her; grey was Firegirl's least favorite color.

"Come on, we have a huge surprise!" She tugged on her arm, but Firegirl didn't move.

"What does it matter? Brainy's dead and it's all my fault."

Violet frowned. "Just come with me, ok? It might make you feel a little better." She let her friend lead her through the Tower. They stopped in front of a room with a red cross painted on it; the infirmary. The doors slid open, and Violet led her to one of the small rooms. "

One sec, sit down right there." She pushed her into a chair and poked her head in the room.

"Hey, you have someone here to see you." She said to someone that Firegirl couldn't see. She felt her hope threatening to rise, and she forced the lump in her throat back down.

"Oh, I'll be there in a moment." Violet withdrew her head, and Firegirl watched with little interest. Then a familiar face appeared, his left arm in a sling and a bandage around his head.

"Brogyn!" He cried.

"Brainy!" She leaped up and they ran at each other. She enveloped him in a hug, and he hugged her back with his good arm.

"I can't believe you're alive!" She said, tears in her eyes.

"I can't either, honestly." He admitted. "They made it just in time."

She closed her eyes, holding down sobs.

"I heard about what happened in the fortress." He said softly.

"No one messes with My Brainy." She said weakly through her tears.

Violet was smiling smugly. "Told you she'd be excited." She said.

Brainy turned around to face her. "You're exact words were, 'she'll be running around the tower and bouncing off the walls,' if I remember correctly." He replied.

Firegirl laughed as Violet scowled. "It was a lonely three days without you, girl." Violet said with a smile.

Violet had to end it after about ten minutes of sentimental hugging and crying and 'I'm so glad you're alive!' She pried them apart and dragged Brainy back to his bed and Firegirl back to the lobby.

"You seriously need a new uniform." Violet said. Firegirl blushed and nodded, wondering what had happened to old Spikes and Diamonds as she affectionately called her Uniform.

"Which is why we made you a new one!"

Her eyes lit up. "Really? Already? What does it look like?" Violet pulled her to the small closet and pressed her hand to the panel. The doors slid open, and Firegirl grinned at the new suit. It had a large horizontal zigzag on the top, the top half red and the bottom half black. There was a red stripe running down both black legs, and her boots were red with a maroon top. Her cape was maroon, and there was a neck guard that came up to her cheeks, also black. She grabbed it and rushed to her room to put it on.

* * *

Firegirl looked at herself in the mirror and grinned. Violet must have helped in the design; it was stylish and strange at the same time. Her hair was loose and wild, curly as a cloud. There was a cape to this outfit, and she felt a little strange in it; it was so different... She walked out of her room and was met by another attack hug.

"Cham! Jeez, you scared me!" She laughed. Cham grinned, and she realized there were three pairs of arms around her.

"Karate Kid! Nemesis Kid! How have you been?" She asked, group hugging them all.

"Not great, considering Brainy got kidnapped and you were gone." Nemesis Kid said.

Cham looked her over and grinned wider. "Hey, cool new suit." He said.

She looked down and grinned back. "My old one got toasted, so Violet helped make me a new one."

Cham looked offended. "I helped too! So did Double K and NeK!" He said, motioning at the other two.

"Thanks guys! You have no idea how much I missed you all!"

Karate Kid smiled a little. "Well, it was a pretty lonely two years."

She blinked. "It's only been seven months in my time."

They looked at each other and shrugged. "And it was only lonely for Cham. You should have heard him FG! 'I wish she would come back! It's so lonely without her! I miss Firegirl!' It was pathetic!" Nemesis Kid said with a grin. Cham blushed fiercely, a dark orange color.

"I missed you too, Cham." She kissed his cheek, and he turned even deeper orange. Karate Kid and Nemesis Kid burst into laughter.

"Shut up; you missed her too, NeK." Cham muttered. Nemesis Kid shrugged, but he was blushing slightly. Firegirl kissed his cheek too, and he stumbled back into Karate Kid. She leaned over Nemesis Kid and pecked Karate Kid's cheek. Both of them were blushing and stumbling now, and she giggled as Karate Kid rolled his eyes at the commotion the other two were causing.

"Hey guys, I need to go see Cosmic Boy. He told me to report to the command room as soon as I was ready." The two boys waved goodbye to her and then began to snap at each other, something about, 'She likes me best!' 'No, she likes me more than you!' Firegirl shook her head and made her way to the Command Room.

* * *

Cosmic Boy stared out the window of the tower with a thoughtful expression.

"You rang, oh great and powerful leader?" Firegirl said sarcastically, leaning against the wall.

"Hello Firegirl. I almost missed your snide comments. _Almost_." He said with a raised eyebrow.

She grinned. "You missed me and you know it. So what's the sitch?"

He scowled. "I still hate that expression." She shrugged, knowing he knew full well that she said it just to annoy him.

"We think some of Imperiac's troops may be tracking down the Legion's families. The President was assaulted the other day by robotic mercenaries, and President Brande was attacked just this morning. We are keeping tabs on Lightning Lad's family, and we've sent many of the Legionnaires home to watch their families."

She jerked back, knowing what he was getting to. "My family. What about my family? Are they alright?"

He nodded. "Element Lad volunteered to keep tabs on you're family. He wanted you to be here when Brainy woke up."

She smiled slightly. "He's a good guy."

Cosmic Boy nodded. "We will dispatch the robots without much difficulty we believe. Soon all the Legionnaires will be back." Firegirl nodded.

"Oh, and there's one more thing." She looked at Cosmic Boy. "It's about the incident at the Ice Fortress." She winced as she braced herself for the lecture.

"You were completely out of control and could have very easily killed someone. That's not acceptable in a Legionnaire. I'm afraid I'm going to have to suspend you for a while. You will be sent to Durla and be President Brande's personal Bodyguard." She hung her head.

"Ok, Cos. I'll take the next transport ship to Durla." She trudged towards the door, not even bothering to use her flight ring.

"But, since Durla is known for its healing climate and has some of the best air in the universe… I've decided that Brainiac Five will accompany you. He's been dying to get out of the hospital room and is sufficiently healed to be constantly fidgeting and getting on my nerves. It's becoming—" He was cut off as Firegirl squealed and attack hugged him.

"Uh, well, yes. Um, very well. Go on then." She grinned and flew out of the room so fast he hardly had time to blink.

* * *

Brainy was sitting in his hospital bed staring out the window as he had been for the last three days. He began to hum softly; the tune to There's Us. He smiled slightly as he remembered his last days with her on Earth in her time. He hadn't told her (and frankly probably never would) but he was so worried when she began to talk to the boy Dillon. And he remembered the feeling of her arms around him, and when they kissed… He sighed and tossed the blankets off, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He walked out the door and into the hall.

"Brainy, are you sure you should be up and about?" Phantom Girl said as he rounded a corner and almost fell over as she appeared out of nowhere.

"Why do you have to go invisible at the most inconvenient times?" He asked.

She giggled. "I'm playing hide and seek with Timber Wolf! Shh, he doesn't know we're playing." She giggled again and faded out of view. Brainy shook his head and made his way slowly to his room. He opened the door and saw something resting on his bed (A relatively new addition to the room). It was his Suit that had been repaired. He smiled and pulled it on, the riddance of his floppy hospital gown a welcome relief. Suddenly there were three slow knocks and three fast knocks. He felt his heart leap and a feeling of overwhelming happiness grip him; he hadn't heard that knock in almost two years. He opened the door, and Firegirl was standing there in a new suit.

"Hey, Brainy! Guess what? You and I are assigned to Durla for three weeks!" She was speaking so fast he could hardly understand her, but he smiled at her enthusiasm; it was one of the many things he had missed about her.

"That's great." He said. His voice was rough, and he coughed and winced. He still had aches and pains everywhere, and sometimes, if he moved too quickly, he would see spots and almost pass out.

"Are you ok?" She asked, moving to his side, gently touching his elbow. She was even taller then she had been, but they were now almost even, as he had had a growth spurt in the longer time period.

"Yes, yes, stop fussing. I'm fine." He sat down on the edge of his bed and rested his head against the wall, closing his eyes.

"Are you sure you can handle this excursion to Durla? Because I can see if Cosmic Boy would switch and let you stay." She sounded very sad at that thought. "I'm sure I could get NeK or Double K or Cham or Vi to go with me."

He shook his head. "Of course I can handle it! Durla is one of the most peaceful planets in the Universe." He said, a bit harshly.

She looked down. "Oh, sorry I was being rude. I'll let you get some rest. Will I see you tomorrow?" She looked so hopeful that Brainy burst out laughing.

"Of course I- ow! - want to see you- ooh! - tomorrow!" He said, wincing as the laughs rippled through him.

She laughed too, and soon they were both laughing so hard they fell against each other in a heap.

"Man, I haven't ever heard you laugh that hard!" She said breathlessly.

He smiled weakly. "Eh. I have more then one surprise in me." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"I missed you, Brainy." She said softly.

He hugged her with his good arm. "I missed you too." He pulled out of the embrace and leaned in towards her. Their eyes closed as they drew nearer… Suddenly there was a knock on the door and they leaped apart.

"Brainy? Is Firegirl in there?" She jumped up and slid the door open.

"I was just making sure he was all good to go." She said and slipped under Lightning Lad's arm. He gave Brainy a nod and turned and followed the teenager down the hall.

"So, what do you need?" She asked as he plopped down on one of the couches in the Legion Lounge.

"I was just wondering; have you ever burned that hot before?" She shrugged, flopping down in the seat next to him. She kicked her feet up on the small table in the way that Cosmic Boy hated (which was exactly why both she and Lightning Lad did it) and he grinned at her.

"Good to have you back here, squirt." He said and put his arm around her. She blushed as he left his arm behind her on the top of the couch, feeling its pressing against the back of her head.

"Hey, Colossal Boy has been looking for you too. You're just such a popular Legionnaire tonight!" He said with a sarcastic grin.

"Ha, ha. Shouldn't you be hanging out with Saturn Girl or something Sparky?" He shrugged, but she saw the grimace break through.

"She's been pretty uptight about something lately."

Firegirl nodded sympathetically. "Well, I guess I should go find him." She floated off the couch.

"Hey, you be careful on Durla, kid." He said. She gave him a grateful smile and zipped off.

* * *

Brainy fell back against the pillows. He was so tired… He had been feeling terrible all day. He closed his eyes and let sleep pull him away into his dreams.

And he dreamed…

He was running through a field of flowers, chasing a laughing girl with blonde curls.

"Hey, slow down you cheater!" He said, leaping over a log. "If we were flying I'd catch you in two seconds!"

She whirled around and giggled, assuming a very girly pose with her leg bent, her shoulder raised and her hand over her mouth.

"Which is why we're not flying." She said and dashed in a different direction. He set his jaw and poured on speed. He found a foothold on a rock and leaped, tackling her from behind and sending them both crashing down a hill. They rolled to a stop among the purple flowers, him on top of her. He smiled down at her, and she blushed.

"Can you get off now? You're heavier then you look." He stood up and helped her stand. Suddenly she jerked his hand and they were standing within an inch of each other.

"Querl?" She whispered, meeting his eyes that were exactly level with hers. He smiled as she used his real name.

"Yes, Brogyn?" She closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him. Then there was a pounding noise and he groggily opened his eyes.

"Brainy! Wake up in there!" Cosmic Boy called. Then there was the sound of more pounding and 'Lightning Lad, move your butt!' Then the pounding moved on, along with the sound of 'Chameleon Boy, get up!' as Cosmic Boy went through his round of early morning wake-up calls. He stumbled out of bed and into his uniform and then tripped into the hall, colliding with Lightning Lad.

"Hey there, Brainy! Good to see you out and about." He looked behind him and grinned. "And it looks like your girlfriend arrived right on cue." He said with a wink.

Firegirl came lethargically up behind them, her hair disheveled and her eyes cloudy. "Ugh. Does he _know_ what time it is?" She muttered and rubbed her eyes.

"Don't you two leave for the Durla mission today?" Saturn Girl asked, suddenly standing beside Lightning Lad. He smiled at her in a very gentle way as their shoulders brushed.

"Yeah, we do." Firegirl said with a frown. "I'm surprised Cosmic Boy let us sleep in with the rest of you." She said sarcastically.

"Yeah, considering how it's a shocking Five AM." Cham said as he came out of his room. Brainy almost instinctively moved closer to her.

"Oh brother; you boys!" Firegirl pushed them both against the wall.

"Ow!" Cham smacked his head against the wall with a resounding CLANG.

"Ah!" Brainy whacked his good shoulder on the opposite wall and grimaced. Yet he noticed she hadn't shoved him as hard as she had shoved Cham; even when she was being rough she was careful to be gentle. Firegirl walked on and began to chat with Phantom Girl as they all made their way to breakfast.

Brainy sat down pointedly on the opposite side of Superman as Firegirl.

"Hey Brainy! Good to see you back with the living!" He said and gave him a little shoulder squeeze. He smiled back, and when Superman turned to answer Firegirl he rubbed his shoulder in pain at the man of steel's strength.

"I know, he can be so stuck up sometimes!" Firegirl was giggling.

Superman smiled kindly at the teenager. "So, you're from the same time as me?" He asked.

She nodded. "I'm from Mountain City, I'm one state over in Colorado."

His blue eyes lit up. "I've always wanted to go there and see the Rocky Mountains! Are they as beautiful as they say?"

She shrugged. "I guess when you grow up with them pretty much in your backyard you don't always see the beauty and uniqueness in them." Brainy couldn't help but think of something else that was beautiful and unique; something that was sitting between Superman and Cham.

"What do they look like?" He asked. Brainy was subconsciously leaning around him to get a glimpse of her.

"Well, they're big and blue. In the winter—and sometimes even in the summer— the tops of the ridges are covered in white snow. They're beautiful and blue and clean while the city is ugly and brown and dirty. It's a nice background, and it kind of blocks out the rest of the city. It's like the song America the Beautiful. Purple Mountain Majesty. Only I think they look more blue then purple."

Brainy sighed; she had basically just described her eyes. They were big and blue and lustrous with a little yellow ring twisting through the blue, making the whole room light up and taking the breath right out of him. She really was beautiful; you just had to dig for it a little bit. At first glance he had thought she was a bit coarse, very loud and often downright dangerous. But when he had gotten to know her he realized she was funny and enjoyable to be around, and her bright laugh and bold speech were the loudest things about her. And when she smiled it was like someone had turned on a light, it was so bright and wonderful…

"Brainy, are you going to eat anything?" Superman asked, looking down at his friend.

"Huh? Oh, yes, of course." He shoveled a few bites into his mouth and snuck a look at her through the corner of his eye. She caught him looking, and he smiled hesitantly. She took one look at him and burst into her brilliant laughter.

"What?" He asked, his mouth full. She shook her head, her body shaking.

"You've got a Squidbeast tentacle hanging out of your mouth." Timber Wolf said. Phantom Girl was also giggling, and Cham had started laughing while taking a drink, spraying Purp juice all over the people (Violet and Nemesis Kid) across from him. Soon the entire table was laughing (with the exceptions of Kel-El, Cosmic Boy and Timber Wolf) and it all started with her. He tried to keep his eyes glued to the table for the rest of the meal, but they kept moving up involuntarily to her. She was chatting animatedly with Cham, and he only got glimpses of her face when she turned to talk to Superman. When breakfast was over, he rushed to dump his trash in the trash incinerator. He turned and ran right into the subject of his thoughts.

"Oops, sorry Brainy." She said and put her hands on his shoulder to keep herself from tripping over her own boots— an annoying habit she had.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asked. She nodded, looking a bit doubtful, and followed him out and into the hall.

"I'm sorry if I've been too overbearing or possessive of you. I just didn't want to lose you, and I ended up treating you like something I owned. I didn't appreciate how special you are until this morning when I was watching from the outside." He stumbled all this out in one breath.

"Brainy, I would never, ever, _ever_ leave you. And you're the special one." She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips. She made to move back, but he put his arms around her and pulled her back in. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they stood not moving for a moment. Then there were footsteps, and they broke apart.

"I promise I won't leave you." She whispered. He looked into her blue eyes, and she saw an inexplicable fear inside his green ones.

"You and I both know you can't keep that promise. I belong here, you belong there. Either one of us leaves our home or…"

She shook her head, fighting back tears. "We aren't going to think about that, Brainy. Not until it happens."

He sighed and they both were startled by their rings coming to life.

"Firegirl and Brainiac Five. Report to Docking Bay at once." Cosmic Boy droned.

They both flew off, neither speaking, hands intertwined.

* * *

"Your assignment is to make sure the planet Durla is still peaceful and safe. You will also be President Brande's bodyguards for the week he stays on his home planet. And remember, no slacking off. Firegirl, remember you're on Suspension, and Brainiac Five, keep in mind that you are there for healing purposes only. Am I clear?" Both Legionnaires nodded vigorously.

"Well then, be careful and be smart." Cosmic Boy shook their hands. Brainy stepped out into the bright sunshine of New Metropolis, Firegirl already five steps ahead of him.

"And Brainiac?" He turned to face his leader. "Yes Cosmic Boy?"

He looked very serious. "Keep her safe. She's just a kid; she doesn't really belong here. I don't want her to get hurt." Brainy nodded and followed the girl onto the ship that would carry them to Durla.

_To be continued…_

Have you ever gotten so annoyed with something you jsut want to fry it with your Pyro-Kinetic Powers? Well, that's about how I'm feeling with Fanfiction Story Uploader right now...

WORK SPROCK YOU!!!!! *Bam*

Ok, ranting out of my system. Hope you review!!!

~Firegirl~

* * *


	6. Part 3 Chapter 1

_Hello My Fans! _

_(Yeah right, like you have any fans.)_

_Shut up voice in my head! I do too have fans. XP_

_This is the first part of the third chapter (confusing much?) They were too long so I split them up._

_I don't own the Original Legion of Superheroes, and don't plan on owning it ever. Well, unless the creators would be interested in selling it to me.... I can however claim ownership of the character Firegirl!!!_

_R&R pleez, and enjoy!!_

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter Three: The End is Near_**

_**Part One: A Storm on the Horizon**_

"Brainiac Five, you give me that right now!"

Firegirl shot after him, both of the Legionnaires spiraling over the field of flowers in Durla.

"It's only a silly little music device." He called back mockingly, zipping over the flowers so fast he made petals shoot off their stalks.

"It's mine!" She cried.

He laughed and stopped suddenly. She collided with him, and they both tumbled heard over heels into the flowers. He opened his eyes and found his nose less than an inch from hers. He smiled slightly; he had had a dream like this once.

"Let me up." She snapped and shoved him off. He grinned and helped her stand.

She put pressure on her right foot and winced. "Oh shoot. I hurt my stupid ankle again." She muttered.

"Sorry." He amended and let her sling her arm over his shoulders, his arm around her waist. They both smiled blissfully as they held each other; their world was absolutely perfect.

And soon it was all about to come crashing down around them.

* * *

Somewhere in a deep and dark portion of the Cheyenne Prime Star System, a small purple and black rift was forming. The uninhabited system was nothing more then a cold and frozen wasteland since the Sun Eater had devoured Cheyenne Prime, the system's red star. The rift was still very small, about the width of a human hand stretched out. And every day that it grew, the evil on the other side gathered his forces, waiting for the time when the rift would be large enough to let them through. The army floated silently, waiting for their leader to give them the signal.

Then the red and black clad commander shot forward, and the small army followed swiftly, pouring through the rift and into the world like an evil black virus. The figure in the lead halted, and his followers did as well, all shouting and roaring.

"Now my fellows, we destroy the Legion of Superheroes!" He cried, and harsh cheers went up through the ranks, making the void of space ring with terrible voices.

* * *

Phantom Girl flopped on one of the couches in the Legion Tower, eating a cupcake from the batch Timber Wolf had just made—all black and white iced vanilla ones!

"You know, if you keep making me all these sweets I'm going to get fat." She said as Timber Wolf sat down on the couch across from her.

He grinned wolfishly. "Yeah right. With a metabolism as high as yours? Not a chance."

She flung the remains of her cupcake at him and he ducked, his arm snapping out and catching it in mid-air. He grinned and tossed it backwards without looking, landing a perfect shot into the trash incinerator on the far wall. She turned intangible and phased through the floor, coming up under him and shoving him off his seat.

"Whoa! Phantom Girl!" He yelped and flipped over, landing in a crouch. She laughed and ducked away as he tried to tickle her to get revenge.

* * *

Clark Kent stared out the window of the Daily Planet skyscraper. He had just recently 'returned' from a mission to save Brainiac Five, his good friend. He had almost died, and most of the Legion still hadn't totally recovered from the scare he gave them all.

"Kent! Stop daydreaming and get to work!" A voice snapped. He jumped, scattering papers everywhere and tripping one of his fellow reporters who was walking by.

"Aaugh!"

She hit the ground, and he jumped up with inhuman speed to help her. He realized his mistake and knelt down, slower this time.

"Sorry Miss Lane!" He amended, helping her up.

"Watch what you're doing, Kent." She said, brushing herself off.

"Of course. I'll clean this up." She had dropped her cup of coffee and it had spilled across the floor, shattering the mug into a million pieces. She picked up her folders and smoothed out her skirt.

"I had to pick up your slack while you were gone for three days, so I think you owe it to everyone to get some work done and stop daydreaming." She said sharply and walked the other way.

He went to get paper towels to wipe the coffee spill. "Yes Lois, I _was_ busy saving my friend. No Lois, I _don't_ mind being treated like a piece of garbage. Yes Lois. Despite all this, I do think you're beautiful." He muttered under his breath, scraping the broken mug into a dust pan. His mind wandered to a certain person who also had a major attitude, and he smiled. The new addition to the Legion was a pain in the neck at times, and at others she was saving your butt from laser cannon doom.

"Kent! What are you doing?" Perry White was standing over him looking down at him.

"Oh, Miss Lane dropped her coffee because I accidentally tripped her." He said, emptying the dust pan in the trash can.

His boss rolled his eyes. "Just get back to work when you're done."

Clark nodded and sat down in his chair. He started tapping at his typewriter with a sigh.

* * *

It began on a small planet in a system far away. A figure stood in a huge building with a frown.

"Dr. Londo I presume." A voice said. He turned at the sound of his name. "Ah, Alexis. I'm glad you came." He said with a smile.

The girl tossed her hair and smiled. "Of course you are. Now where is this army you keep talking about? I want to crush the Legion." She hissed.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Patience my dear. Soon enough." There was the sound of many clanking feet, and the door slid open.

"Which one of you is Doctor Mar Londo?" A man with red skin and a Mohawk asked.

The doctor stepped forward. "Tyr. Welcome to my humble abode." He said and shook his hand.

Tyr shrugged. "This is Wave, Hunter-" Dr. Londo cut him off. "And of course Esper. Yes I know who you are. Ron-Karr's desertion is unfortunate, but no matter." Tyr sat down heavily in a chair, and his eyes fell on Alexis.

"Well, well, who's this? Your daughter?" Dr. Londo winced slightly as she opened her mouth to object.

"Of course not. This is Alexis."

Esper and Wave shared a look. "As in, the rich Alexis?" Wave asked in her serpentine voice.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "What trash heap did you find these pieces of garbage in?" She asked, looking Esper over.

"That would be Takron Galtos, where he found us all." A seducing voice said. A green clad woman floated through the door with a giant floating eye behind her.

"Empress. I thought we got rid of you and your gang for good." Hunter muttered. Persuader lumbered through the door, followed by Tharock and Mano.

"And it seems as if we are all here." Dr. Londo said.

"Vait! Vait! I am still out herea!" A voice called in a strong Russian accent. The Legion of Supervillains all rolled their eyes or shook their heads.

"Get lost!" Esper shouted.

"But I am a Villain! I am still vaiting to be recognized for my evilness! Let me in! I am Starfinger!" Dr. Londo pressed the door, and a tall person wearing platform shoes, a yellow and orange cape and a globe over his head fell in.

"Sank you, Dr. Londo! You vill all see my evil genius!" He sat down in one of the chairs, and the other villains moved away from him.

"Now, why are we all here, Londo?" Empress asked.

Dr. Londo pulled up a screen with video footage of them and the Legion in their most heated battles.

"You think we are the Legion of Superheroes' worst enemies; the worst of the worst." They mumbled their agreements.

"But you are mistaken. There is another threat to the Legion, even greater then you."

Tyr stood up, looking unimpressed. "Yeah, that Imperiex thing. But the Legion took care of him."

Tharock stood as well. "And Brainiac; it very nearly ravaged the Universe!" Dr. Londo raised his hands for silence.

"Yes, but they have been defeated, and defeated again quite recently, more easily than I would have hoped. What we need are more super powered beings."

Wave shot out of her chair. "But that would just give the Legion more power!"

Dr. Londo smiled. "Unless they were Supervillains."

The LSV and the Fatal Four nodded their agreement.

"What we need is a Legion against a Legion. And I have the perfect commander."

He opened another door, and a black and red cloaked figure stepped in, smirking slightly.

"Who is this clown?" Hunter snapped and stood up. Then he was thrown back as the person blasted him with laser beams from his eyes.

"If anyone else wants to interrupt me?" He scanned the room, and when met by silence, continued. "No? Alright then." He flew off the ground and landed beside Dr. Londo. "I'm Drax. I am Superman's worst nightmare." There were several eye rolls.

"And this… is my Anti-Legion." The door opened again, and people began to pour into the room. Soon it was full of Supervillains all clamoring to be heard over each other.

"Where did they come from?" Tharock asked, pulling out a scanner and running it over the closest one to him, a deathly pale man with pointed ears, fangs and blood red eyes. The creature hissed and grabbed his wrist, bending it back until Tharock yelped in pain and put the scanner away.

"We are from the Phantom Zone. We are ghosts of reality. I am the 'Ghost', per se, of the one called Brainiac Five." A purple skinned creature said, his green eyes sweeping the LSV and the FF. His blue hair was spiky and disorderly, and there were three slash marks across his forehead. "I am Inteli-tron."

A girl with a very evil smirk stepped up beside him. "I am the Triplicating Terror. The Ghost of Triplicate Girl." She spat the name. She suddenly split into three; one green, one yellow and one black. "We will be the doom of our opposite." They hissed.

Alexis nodded with a smirk. "I think that the Legion of Superheroes is in for a big surprise."

* * *

Bouncing Boy frowned at the monitor; it said they were picking up a flyer outside the cruiser. But none of the Legionnaires were missing or had gone for a flight. Then the target simply disappeared, and he disregarded it with a shrug. Cosmic Boy didn't have to know about some weird flying thing that probably was just a scanner malfunction anyway. Suddenly the alarm sounded, and he shrieked and went into ball form.

"Attention all Legionnaires! There is an intruder on the ship! Find him now!" There was the sound of running feet, and suddenly a girl dashed into the control room.

"Legion!" She hissed. Bouncing Boy thought she looked kind of scary; she had pale grey eyes, black hair and pale skin, and she was wearing a tattered blue suit. There were blue jagged tattoos on her left cheek, shoulders and knees. "You will all face your doom!"

She suddenly shot a blast of ice at the door, covering and sealing it, and the sound of Legionnaires banging on it reached Bouncing Boy's ears. The girl turned on him, and he scooted back in his chair.

"You will deliver a message to your Legion." She said in her harsh voice. "We. Are. Coming. And when the Anti-Legion strikes, you will die." She turned and fired a ball of ice through the window, letting the vacuum of space suck her out and shoot her off into the distance. The door was turning hot, and Sun Boy burst through.

"Where is she!?" He demanded. Bouncing Boy's heart was pounding.

"Gone. But she left us a message. She said, 'We are coming. When the Anti-Legion strikes, you will die.'"

* * *

In the Legion Tower in New Metropolis, a time bubble appeared. Element Lad flew out, frantic with wide eyes. "Firegirl! Firegirl!" He shouted, and the other two people who were in the bubble stepped out cautiously.

"Lexa, where are we?" The little blonde girl asked. The taller girl was staring around her with wide eyes.

"I think we're in the Legion Tower." She said in awe.

"Element Lad, I think you'll have to yell a lot louder for her to hear you; Firegirl's all the way on Durla." Lightning Lad said with a grin.

"It's about her family! Her brother was taken by The Fatal Four!"

Lightning Lad's eyes widened. "What? We have to get her back here now! And Brainy too." He turned and flew down the hall to activate the transmitter gate.

"Um… Element Lad?" Lexa asked the blonde Legionnaire, and he turned in surprise at the sound of his name. "We don't exactly know what's going on…"

He sighed and rubbed his head. "I know. When Firegirl gets back she can explain." He pushed the two girls towards an elevator.

"I'll call Phantom Girl to take you to an extra room." He said, and then raised his right hand and activated his ring. "Phantom Girl, are you too busy flirting with Timber Wolf, or can you come here?"

A few seconds later a girl in black and white appeared. "You rang?" She asked sarcastically.

"We have some of Firegirl's friends, family, something. Her brother has been taken by the FF. They need rooms."

She saluted and took the little girl's hand with a smile. "You look like Phantom Girl." She said, her blue eyes wide.

"Skyler, I think she _is_ Phantom Girl." Lexa replied, her brown eyes wider.

"Well, come on then. Are you Firegirl's sister?" She asked Skyler. Skyler just stared at her. "Yeah, well, we'll find out when she gets back from Durla."

She led them to the wing for extra people they had a habit of collecting and into some rooms.

"Is Saturn Girl here?" Skyler asked. Phantom Girl nodded, wondering how on earth this six year old knew who they were.

"Yeah, we can go visit her later if you want to." Skyler smiled, popped her thumb in her mouth and snuggled down into the bed.

* * *

"Hey, you have a message from Head Quarters." Brainy said, handing Firegirl the small hologram transmitter.

Element Lad's face popped up. "Firegirl! You and Brainy need to return immediately; we have trouble brewing by the name of the Anti-Legion. And there's something else…" The hologram paused. "Your bother had been captured by the Fatal Four." She gasped and dropped the transmitter.

"What is wrong?" Brainy asked, at her side in an instant.

"It's my brother! He's been taken by the Fatal Four."

He bit his lip. "Well, if anyone can get him back, it's you." She was blinking back tears, and he soothingly squeezed her shoulder. "Come on; I'll get the gate ready if you tell the President we have to leave early." He nodded and they both flew off at top speed.

'Hold on, Braden. I'm coming.' She thought.

* * *

Dr. Londo observed his newest test subject and frowned. "He's not the one I told you to get." He said to Empress.

"Well the girl was protected; she has powers. He does not."

The boy was squirming in his restraints. "Dude! Let me go!" He shouted, blue eyes wide with fear.

Dr. Londo smiled tightly. "But he will do, I suppose."

He pulled out a mask and placed it over the boy's face. He struggled for a few more seconds before the gas knocked him out cold.

"Now let's begin. Hopefully he won't turn out like dear Brin." He said and snapped his gloves.

* * *

The Transmatter Gate crackled to life, and two silhouettes appeared against the light. Firegirl leaped out and flew as fast as she could into the tower. "Element Lad!" She shouted, and shot headfirst into Lightning Lad.

"Whoa, careful there fireball." He said, holding her shoulders to keep her still. "What happened to my brother? What about my sister? Where is Element Lad!?" She asked at a hundred miles an hour.

"Your sisters are in the lounge. Your brother was kidnapped and I am right here." Element Lad said, emerging from the shadows.

"Well we have to go save him… Wait, sister_**s**_? I only have one sister." He blinked and motioned for her to follow. She flew after him, and they came into the lounge. "Skyler!"

Firegirl flew forward and embraced the little girl. "Why are you wearing a Halloween costume?" She asked innocently. Firegirl laughed, tears in her eyes.

"Well, you have a lot of explaining to do." A voice said.

She looked up and met Lexa's eyes. "Oh, hey Lexa. How are you? Are you freaking out about the fact that all of it was _real_?" The brown haired girl just tapped her foot.

"You are absolutely _unbelievable_. Why didn't you tell me? I'm your best friend; I should have known about this!"

Then her eyes widened like saucers. "Brainy! Oh man, I've always wanted to meet you!" She rushed past Firegirl and shook Brainy's hand.

"Hm. Her reaction wasn't quite as enthusiastic as yours was, Firegirl." Brainiac Five said with a grin.

"Ha, ha, you're hilarious."

Lexa was suddenly shaking Chameleon Boy's hand on the other side of the room. "Guys, we have a bigger problem then Lexa spazzing out." Firegirl said, standing up with Skyler still in her arms.

"We have to save my brother."

* * *

Dr. Londo smiled. "Yes. This is perfect." He murmured. His subject sat up and flexed his hand. Claws like daggers shot out of his knuckles. "Oh sweet!" He exclaimed.

"You will work with me and the Anti-Legion to destroy the Legion of Superheroes." Dr. Londo said. Braden stood up and flexed his claws in and out, in and out.

"Uh, no I won't. Because the Legion are the good guys, and everyone knows that the good guys always win. Duh." He said, and Dr. Londo stared at him in disbelief. Suddenly the door was blown in, and a snarling Timber Wolf leaped in.

"Brin. How nice to see you again." Dr. Londo said.

"Dr. Londo. We wondered what hole you crawled into." Phantom Girl said, landing beside Timber Wolf.

"And Tinya Wazzo! What an honor!" Suddenly there was a ring of fire around him, and Firegirl was in his face with a fistful of his shirt, lifting him off the floor with an Adrenaline-induced spurt of strength.

"Where is my brother?" She hissed as her hands burned holes in his lab coat.

"I'm right here, Brogs." A voice said, and Braden grinned at the Legionnaires. Firegirl dropped him and rushed to Braden. "Braden! I thought you were…" She stopped, watching as he flexed his claws in and out. "Gone…" She trailed off as he grinned at his newfound power.

"Isn't it cool? Now I kind of have powers like you and Skyler! We can fight with the Legion together!" He said.

She hugged him hard. "Grife you scared me." She said. He looked past her and caught sight of the other Legionnaires. "Hey guys." He said and grinned, flexing his claws. Suddenly there was a banging sound, and a dark figure fell out of the air duct and rolled across the floor. She leaped up, fumbling for her footing.

The person fell into a fighting stance. "Legion scum! You will all die!" She hissed. Firegirl snapped out her fire whips almost instinctively, and Braden's eyebrows went up. "That was cool." He said, and Phantom Girl pulled him away from his sister.

"I think not." She said smartly, and the anti-Legionnaire smiled darkly as she swirled two tentacles of ice to her hands, nearly identical to Firegirl's weapon of choice.

"You have met you're positive I see, Dry Ice." A voice said. Drax floated down from some hidden place into the middle of the room. "Firegirl, Dry Ice. Dry Ice, Firegirl. Positive and negative."

Dry Ice snapped her ice whip at Firegirl, and she blocked easily. "Oh please. Is that the best you can do?"

Suddenly the other ice whip came snapping around and slashed sharply her across the face. "Aaugh!" She cried out and stumbled back, hands over her face as blood dripped between her fingers. "Firegirl!" Phantom Girl rushed to her side, holding her arm.

"And so it begins."

Drax said and suddenly both faded away into thin air.

* * *

_Chapter Three part one ends in a cliffhangar?! DUH DUH DUH!!! (JK, you probably aren't worried.)_

_Pleez Review!!!_

_~Firegirl~_


	7. Part 3 Chapter 2

_Sorry if this caused any confusion...I don't think I uploaded this chapter? Anyway, here's Chapter Three part two..._

_I Do Not Own The Legion Of Superheroes. So There. _

* * *

_**Chapter Three: the End is Near**_

_**Part Two: Storm Clouds descend**_

The door to the Legion Tower opened, and Firegirl came in, supported by Phantom Girl.

"Firegirl!" Brainy leaped up and rushed to her side. "What happened?" He asked.

Firegirl looked up and his expression went from fear to shock and disbelief. "Come on; let's take her to the healing chamber." He said softly.

She reached out and grasped his hand. "How bad is it?" She asked, hearing her voice crack slightly under stress.

He gently reached out and stroked her right cheek softly. When he pulled his hand back, there was blood on his green fingers. He slung the arm that was around Phantom Girl's shoulders around his own and supported her as they walked to the Healing Chamber. She sat down on the table and caught sight of her face in the reflection of the windows and gasped. A huge gash slashed across her face, and blood was dripping down in thin trickles down her face. The green ripples of the healing chamber ran over her like a waterfall, and she felt herself calming down. When the ripples stopped, she stepped out of the chamber. Brainy flew at her and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close to him.

"I was so worried." He said. She breathed in his scent; kind of like summer, mixed with the ever present smell of clean metal from his lab, she decided.

"I should have gone with you." He murmured.

Firegirl looked up at him. "Why? I'm all better now, no harm done." He gently stroked her right cheek. "If you say so." He slipped his fingers under her chin and gently kissed her.

"Eew! Brogyn, aw man! I'm telling Mom!"

The two both whirled around and found Braden making faces.

"Can it, Enirevlow." She hissed. Brainy gave her an inquisitive look. "His fakie Superhero name. And for the record, I'm Firegirl here, Be."

He shrugged and grinned evilly before dashing down the hall. Firegirl made to follow him, but Brainy caught her arm. "Let him go." He said and pulled her back into his arms. "You know, we need to take your brother and sister back to their time."

She frowned. "What are we going to do about Dry Ice?" He frowned as well, stroking her cheek again where there had been a slash a moment ago. "What if there are more like her?"

Brainy pushed her out in front of him and held her shoulders tightly. "So what? Even if there are a thousand more like her, we'll take care of them."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Alright. If you say we'll be ok, we'll be ok." He rubbed her shoulder, and suddenly there was a blinding flash. "Aaugh!"

They both jumped in shock as a cackling laugh rang out through the hall. "Braden I am going to strangle you!" Firegirl shouted after her brother's retreating back, the camera in his hands glinting off the fire in her hands.

Brainy looked shocked. "Would you really hurt him?"

She rolled her eyes and flipped her flight ring on. "Not fatally." She shot off, leaving a sonic boom behind her. She returned moments later with her brother under her arm and the camera dangling in her other hand. "Come on, Brogyn! It was only a little fun!" He whined. She dumped him on his backside and tossing the camera to Brainy.

Braden snickered. "I'm telling Mom you have a boyfriend."

She nudged him with her boot. "Shush or you're going out with the garbage tomorrow. I'll make sure we have some particularly nasty stuff in there just for you." She threatened. He rolled his eyes and clambered up. He opened his mouth to make a snide comment when an alarm made him jump out of his skin.

"Aaugh!" He shrieked as the red alarm lights on their rings flashed. "What's going on?" He cried. Firegirl grabbed him by the hand and wrapped his arms around her neck, settling him in piggyback position. "Hang on!" She shot off, Brainy a few feet behind her. She opened the door to the room he and Skyler were staying in and dropped him on the bed next to her sister.

"But we want to fight too!" He called. She closed the door in his face. "Computo, confine these two." She commanded and flew off side by side with Brainy to find the fight.

* * *

Saturn Girl was sitting on a couch talking to Phantom Girl when suddenly the metal door blew in. Timber Wolf, who had been sitting across the room playing chess with Cham, was suddenly next to them, crouched protectively in front of Phantom Girl.

"Hello, Legion." A voice said. A familiar shape stepped into the room, and Timber Wolf shot forward and grabbed Dr. Londo by the shirt and hefted him into the air before the others could even blink.

"What are you doing, Doc? You're just going to get your butt sent to Takron Galtos where you belong." Lightning Lad said over his shoulder.

"Perhaps. But we have friends who will just get us back out." Dr. Londo said with a smile. Brainy and Firegirl exchanged a nervous glance; we? Us? Was he running with a team now?

"I am here simply as a messenger. But I would like to have my feet back on the ground if you don't mind, son." Timber Wolf snarled and dropped him harder than necessary. "I am _not_ your son."

He stalked away to stand by Phantom Girl, who put her hand on his arm soothingly. Dr. Londo picked himself back up and brushed himself off. "Yes, well then. I have a message for the Legion of Superheroes from Drax." Superman jerked in shock at the name from his youth in the Legion.

"I believe one of our messengers already delivered this message to the Legionnaires on your cruiser. You met her, Firegirl. I believe her name is Dry Ice." Firegirl lunged, and the only thing stopping her was Brainy's restraining arm around her wrist. "Let him be; you'll get your revenge for what he did to your brother. I promise." She settled back, her vision still stained red with hatred.

"And the message is this; The Anti-Legion is coming. They will come in full force within the week, and annihilate everyone and everything in the Legion, along with anything that gets in our way." He nodded his head at us and turned to the door. Suddenly Timber Wolf was there, blocking his way out. "What the Frell is an Anti-Legion?" He snarled.

Dr. Londo smiled and suddenly his head began to melt into green goop. Timber Wolf slashed through the middle of the clone and hissed in disgust.

"Well then, I suppose we have a week to prepare our forces." Lightning Lad said darkly.

* * *

"Please? I can fight too!" Braden whined as Firegirl set up the spare room to her siblings' liking. Half of the room was holo-programmed to have camouflage colors and army-style hangings, and the other half was sparkly and bright with decorations of some long forgotten Fairy World.

"No, you have to stay here and keep Skyler safe." Firegirl said and kissed his forehead. He huffed and crossed his arms. "I can't believe I finally get cool powers and I can't even use them." He flexed his claws as if to prove his point.

"Lexa is staying too." She said, but it didn't seem to make him any happier. There was a moan of indignation from the said teenager.

"I am not! I'm helping the Legion! I said I would stand and fight with them!" Firegirl gave her a look. "With what, a baseball bat? You just aren't cut out for full-blown battle, Lexa." The other girl scowled, but held her retort back.

"Brainy doesn't have powers! He's using guns and stuff! Why can't I do that?" Braden asked again. "I said no! No is the final answer." She said wearily.

"Grife, you sound like my mother." A voice said from behind them, and Lightning Lad came into the room and flopped down into a red fuzzy circle chair. "Hey, Sparky, this is none of your business and that's _my_ chair!" Firegirl snapped, tossing the pillow off the bed at him. It hit him in the face, and he choked on the Purp he had been eating.

"Fine. I'll go hang out with Brainy for a while then. He's feeling a little deprived since your family showed up. Now that you only devote twenty hours of your day to him instead of twenty four." A boot whizzed by his ear and he raised his hands in surrender and disappeared down the hall.

"Boys are annoying?" Lexa asked, guessing her thoughts. Firegirl grinned at her best friend.

"Once again, you took the words right out of my mouth."

* * *

The Legion Cruiser landed the next day. Cosmic Boy raced out, followed closely by Bouncing Boy. "Are we too late?" The Leader of the Legion had a nervous air about him.

"Grife, Cosmic Boy; considering the Legion Tower is still standing and the fact that we are all waiting impatiently for you to get here, yeah, you're too late." Lightning Lad said sarcastically.

"Lightning Lad, we don't have time for this." Saturn Girl said softly from behind him. "I agree. What is our battle plan?" Cosmic Boy brushed past Lightning Lad and walked into the tower with Saturn Girl. Sparks of envy crackled along Lightning Lad's arm, and he ground his teeth before following.

Bouncing Boy looked very pale and a little sick. Triplicate girl hadn't left his side since the incident with Dry Ice. "It's bad, isn't it Lightning Lad?" She asked softly, so the other boy couldn't hear.

He shrugged. "We don't know what to expect."

She helped Bouncing Boy inside, and the other Legionnaires followed her in.

* * *

Firegirl stared down into the lobby, watching as Legionnaires rushed back and forth, preparing for all-out war. There were footsteps behind her, and she looked over her shoulder. "It will all work out in the end. You'll see." Brainy said softly and slipped something into her hand. It was a time bubble activator. "If things start going badly, I want you to bubble out. Alright?" She shoved it back into his hands, a little more roughly than necessary.

"No. I'm not afraid for myself, Brainy. I'm not afraid to die fighting for what's right." Her voice cracked, and she bit her lip. "But my brother and sister have no part in this! They're just kids who fell in headfirst and have no idea what they're doing!"

She was holding back tears now. He gently pulled her into his arms. "Sounds like you and I. Just kids who fell in headfirst. And look what happened." She laughed sadly. "There's Us." She said softly. He nodded. "There's Us."

She looked at the Time Bubble control. "I'll give this to Lexa; she says she's going to be with them while we fight. Maybe she can bubble them all out if things go bad."

He held her tightly. "If it comes to the end, I'll die fighting by your side." She let out a sob. "Stop saying that please. I can't imagine my world without you." She leaned her head on his shoulder, but she had to bend over to do it, since they were still the same height. He rubbed her back soothingly. "Nor mine without you."

She looked down through the window, and saw the expressions of her friends. Cham was obviously excited, bouncing around like a hyperactive five-year-old. She rolled her eyes; leave it to Cham to be buzzed about a fight. Karate Kid and Nemesis Kid were looking less excited, but not particularly nervous either. They seemed to enjoy the prospect of some action as well. Cosmic Boy looked half crazy with worry; his usually groomed hair was sticking up at odd angles and he was very jumpy. Triplicate Girl looked sad as she walked beside a still pale Bouncing Boy. Lightning Lad looked calm and in control; Firegirl smiled and shook her head. Strong, brave Lightning Lad, stepping up as the leader when Cosmic Boy couldn't be. Phantom Girl and Shrinking Violet were handing out cookies—probably made by Timber Wolf—and making jokes, laughing and pretending everything was normal. Always trying to keep the atmosphere light and keep their minds distracted. Element Lad, Sun Boy, Star Boy and Blok were nowhere to be seen. She knew they were probably in the simulator trying to get the Substitutes in better shape for fighting. She shook her head; they were dragging those kids in too. Who else would die to satisfy this Anti-Legion's anger? How many innocent bystanders would be thrown aside as they came blasting their way through New Metropolis… She shoved the mental picture aside with a shudder; it was too painful to even think about.

As if reading her thoughts, Brainy said, "We will prepare for three more days and then we are taking the fight to an empty portion of space, most likely an uninhabited Star System. We don't want more people to be hurt then necessary."

She felt tears welling in her eyes again at the hidden meaning in his words; so only the Legion had to die, should this Anti-Legion be as terrible as they claimed to be. She felt a sudden anger burn in her. If she was going to fight, she was going to fight like the devil himself. If she had to die, she would die fighting side by side with the Legion, her friends and her second family. And if she was going down, she was taking as many of these Anti-Legionnaires down with her as she could!

Brainy was frowning at her. "You have that, 'I've made a final and very dangerous decision' look again." She tilted her head and kissed him gently. "I have made a decision. Let's just say when this so called Anti-Legion gets here, they'll have a very, very angry firebender to deal with. Bring on the bad guys."

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_

Hope you liked it, Pleez Review!!!

~Firegirl~


	8. Part 4 Chapter 1

_Here is the first part of Chapter Four._

_WARNING: This chapter is kind of dumb. Sorry, I was in a writing slump when I wrote this. But, on the Up Side, Chapter Five rocks!!!!_

_R&R&E!!!!!_

* * *

**Chapter Four: Powerful Words**

**Part One: Doomsday?**

Lexa was walking around New Metropolis with her newfound friend, Ultra Boy. He was showing her the sights and the sounds, 'as a last minute present' he said.

"That's the Superman Museum. The info is a little off, I'm sure, but still interesting." She nodded and watched the huge gold statue fly by as the mini-cruiser turned. Suddenly there was a crash and a flash of light, and several scavengers raced out of a building. "Going down!"

They sped towards the ground, landing in front of the fleeing thieves. "Drop it, Scavengers!" He demanded, jumping out of the cruiser and holding up his hand. They tried to run, but he shot forward with a shout of, 'super speed!' and grabbed them, tying them to a light pole. Suddenly there was a shout, and a scavenger charged at Lexa. She whipped around and shoved her hands forward, and suddenly a tornado whipped from her hands and swept the Scavenger into a nearby dumpster.

Ultra Boy squawked in indignation. "You've got powers? Why didn't you tell us?"

She shrugged and blushed a little. "I'm not very good with them, and I'd probably just get in the way in a fight…" She said.

He rolled his eyes. "You're probably just being modest, Lexa! Let's go back and we'll see how good you are."

* * *

The door to the Sim-Chamber opened, and Element Lad looked up. Ultra Boy waltzed in towing Firegirl's friend Lexa behind him. "Hey Element Lad, can we get a level zero training sim going?"

He frowned. "Why would we need a level zero?"

Ultra Boy pushed Lexa forward. "She's got powers and didn't tell us. We're going to test them out." He said with a wink at her. She looked very nervous as Element Lad smiled at her. "Ok, level zero coming up." He dashed into the control room and tapped in the numbers.

The scene shimmered and became a white room. Three dominator Robots turned on her. She fell into a fighting stance and made a shoving motion with her hands. A blast of wind burst out, and one robot was blown to bits. Another came at her from the side, and she shot a yellow bolt of lightning at it, and it crumpled to the ground. The third robot charged, and she made a swirling motion. A tornado formed around the robot and spun it away before crushing it into pieces against the wall. The scene changed again, and this time there were more robots. Ultra Boy and Ultra Boy watched in amazement as she took down all ten of the robots without breaking a sweat. She continued until level four when she was surrounded and had to give up the fight.

"You're great!" Ultra Boy exclaimed as they walked out. She shrugged. "I guess. I'm not as good as Firegirl or you Legionnaires."

His eyes suddenly lit up, and he patted her shoulder. "I'll see you at lunch." he said and raced away, disappearing into Shrinking Violet's room.

By lunch, the entire Legion knew about 'The Storm' as they called her. She dumped her food in the trash incinerator and ran headfirst into Ultra Boy. "Sorry, Ultra Boy." She said, and moved to go around him. He put a hand on her shoulder and nodded out the door. "Come here, we have a surprise for you."

She followed him suspiciously, and they went into Violet's little secret place she used to keep things when she was making surprises (often). The little pale girl turned and was holding up a grey-blue, gold and grey suit with a storm cloud and lightning insignia on the chest. "You're officially part of the legion, Storm." She said.

Lexa took it and smiled. "I haven't been sworn in." They both grinned. "Already been planned."

She felt happiness swell in her; she had never had so many good friends, always watching out for her. She ducked into a restroom to put her suit on. When she came back out, Ultra Boy grinned and Violet smiled.

"You look great. You'll get your belt and ring tonight!" She smiled blissfully as they both hugged her and sent her on her way back to her room.

* * *

Firegirl flew slowly down the hall, her feet almost touching the ground. "Why are you so sad?" A voice asked, and she turned around. Lexa was standing there wearing what looked like an official Legion suit. "Lexa! What are you wearing?" Firegirl asked.

She grinned. "I'll be called Storm after tonight. I have powers, you know." Firegirl smiled and hugged her, but it was half-hearted. "You need to lighten up. It's not like we're going to die or anything." Lexa consoled.

Firegirl tossed her blonde curls. "I hope so. I really, really hope so." The two friends floated off down the hall together, speaking of everything except the coming battle.

* * *

"To the Legion of Superheroes, I make this solemn pledge. To use my powers for good, to fight for Justice, and protect the innocent. To aid my fellow Legionnaires in times of peril, and to keep their secrets safe. I am Storm! Long Live the Legion!" Storm lifted her ring and the others took up the cheer. "Long Live the Legion!"

It was a desperate thought. They knew they would be facing a battle soon, the odds they did not know. But they could bet they weren't good.

Storm stepped down and was mobbed. "Welcome to the Legion, Storm!" Ultra Boy said, wrapping her in an enthusiastic hug. Element Lad shyly shook her hand, and they both blushed slightly at Violet's thoughtful expression as she watched them. Brainy hugged her too, smiling sadly. He and Firegirl seemed to be sharing an attitude of gloominess. "Come on, Brainy. Cheer up a little bit!" She said, punching his shoulder.

He glanced over at the Legion Cruiser; it was almost done being modified with more powerful weapons. All of the Mini cruisers were undergoing modifications as well; the Legionnaires who couldn't use their powers in space—like Chlorophyll Kid— or whose powers wouldn't be of much use in a real battle—like Color Kid—would be put in the cruisers and set loose on the Anti-Legion. She shook her head; they might be more of a danger to the Legion then the Anti-Legion.

"Hey, we're going to have a little party. Mostly it's to welcome you into the Legion. Also to get FG and B5 to stop sulking." Ultra Boy said with a grin. Her mood lifted instantly. "What kind of party?"

* * *

"A gooey romance movie? Bouncing boy, what are you playing at?" Storm asked suspiciously. The boy winked and slipped it into the slot before plopping down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn next to the Triplicates, who all dug their hands into the bowl as well. Firegirl was sitting next to Brainy. They both looked skeptical and still slightly depressed.

"What is the move we're watching?" Firegirl asked. "I think it's called Chainsaw Massacre." Storm said, hiding a laugh.

Firegirl's eyes got huge. "What?!"

Storm laughed at her friend's expression of horror. "I'm just messing with you. Calm down, it's a good movie." She settled back down onto the small couch next to Brainy. The movie began, and Storm already wanted to leave and/or barf. But as she looked around, she could see the romantic atmosphere was taking its toll on the room's occupants. Bouncing Boy already had his arm around Triplicate Girl—now one being—and they were both eating popcorn, totally absorbed in the movie. Firegirl was leaning her head against Brainy's shoulder, looking a bit glazed in the eyes. He pulled her closer, his eyes full of an unspoken something that Storm couldn't quite place. Phantom Girl was staring at Timber Wolf's hand, which was only a few inches from hers, within holding distance; he looked like he was ready to puke. Dream Girl was holding hands with Star Boy, both looking dreamy and totally out of it. Violet eyes flickered between the TV screen and the back of Brainy's head, her expression sad as Firegirl snuggled into his chest. Lightning Lad looked murderous as Saturn Girl sat between him and Cosmic Boy, her arms firmly crossed across her chest and her eyes straight ahead. Cosmic Boy was leaning casually against the couch, his arm behind Saturn Girl's head and his hand in Lightning Lad's face. Storm could tell those three were going to be trouble.

"This is a waste of time. We should be preparing for battle." A voice muttered, and Storm saw Ultra Boy sulking in the corner. She had to admit she agreed with him. Cham and Karate Kid were off in different times collecting the two Supermen. Kel would be totally into the idea of a battle, and Superman might be able to lift the depressed atmosphere. There was nothing those two couldn't do. Storm sighed; she had thought the same thing about Brainy and Firegirl a few days ago. But as she watched, she saw them both smiling a little as the couple on the screen chased each other through a field of flowers, one falling over the other and both landing at the bottom of a hill. Storm thought it was completely hurl-worthy, but decided not to say anything.

Suddenly there was a bright flash under the door, and all the Legionnaires leaped up, the movie forgotten. "Kel-El! Superman!" The door slid open and the lights came back on, and the two Supermen entered. "You just love disturbing our peace, don't you?" Kel-El sighed as the Legion crowded around them. "Long time no see! It's been almost a month!" Superman joked.

His pale blue eyes fell on Brainy's expression and his smile dimmed. "What's wrong Brainy?" He asked. Firegirl gently took the ex-Coluan's hand. "He calculated the odds of our winning against the Anti-Legion. It's not good." Superman frowned. "When have the odds ever stopped us? The odds were at least eight to one when we went up against the sun eater. And Imperiex and Brainiac 1.0 were probably both ten to one! What are the odds supposedly this time?"

Brainy frowned. "Thirteen point one three one three one three one three to one, but I don't think-" Firegirl cut him off. "Superman is right! Why should we let this stop us?" She clambered up on the table where all the Legionnaires could see her, and Storm thought she heard Ultra Boy mutter 'show off'. "This war is going to happen whether we like it or not. We've been sulking and freaked out about it, but that's not what we need to be doing right now. We need to snap out of it and get ready to kick some Anti-Legion butt!" She said in a strong clear voice.

Storm stood beside her, not willing to climb on the table, but speaking nonetheless. "Firegirl is right. We should be preparing instead of watching movies and spiraling down in the pit of depression! By the end of this week, the war will have come and gone; so who's with us?" The Legion sent up a cheer and dozens of hands with Legion rings shot into the air.

"Long Live the Legion!"

* * *

The tower was left running as a beacon of hope, and the cruisers were loaded. "So the Anti-Legion is planning on attacking. But if the reverse tracker Brainy found on Dr. Londo's freako clone works, we should be able to track their ship to whatever region of space they're hiding in and bring the fight to them." Lightning Lad said. The Legionnaires stood below him, their faces strong but their eyes showing the fear beneath the surface.

As the ships cleared the atmosphere, Firegirl turned for a last look at Earth before turning her eyes to the view outside the window. She sighed, her hand pressed against the cool glass pane. "Space is a much smaller place here." She said softly as the stars began to whiz past.

Suddenly there was a bang and a crash, and two people tumbled out of the utility closet. "Braden! Skyler!" Firegirl leaped up, stumbling as the cruiser turned.

"Hey Brogyn, we wanted to come fight too!" Braden said, clambering up. Firegirl sighed, pressing her hands to her temples. "Wasn't Lexa supposed to be watching you?"

As if on cue, another person tumbled out of the closet, hitting Braden's knees and knocking him flat on the ground. "Storm here." She said with a fake salute.

Firegirl noticed something. "What are you wearing?" She asked as Braden adjusted his fingerless gloves. "Oh, Violet made us Legion Uniforms!"

Firegirl gave the smaller girl a scowl, and Vi smiled guiltily. "Sorry FG, I can't help myself."

Suddenly an alarm went off, and several interesting things happened. First Braden shrieked and his claws flashed out in self defense. Firegirl gave the alarm a good death glare and laughed as Storm jumped three feet in the air. And Skyler squeaked in fear and suddenly shot off a blast of something very bright and very white in Violet's face. "Aaugh!" she cried, and flung her hands over her face. "Violet!"

Firegirl was at her side in an instant, helping her stand up. She opened her eyes and blinked, as if she was having a hard time seeing. "It's all white." She said in confusion, squinting at the wall.

Firegirl and Storm shared a look; had Skyler blinded her with that blast? She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "Wait, now it's coming back." She squinted, and there was a shiny haze over her eyes. "Take her to the healing chamber." Storm suggested. Firegirl nodded, her expression fearful. Skyler looked confused as to why everyone wasn't looking at her.

Brainy met the two girls in the hall. When he saw Violet, blinking and stumbling, he panicked. "What happened?!" He cried, tilting Violet's face up to observe her eyes.

"Skyler has powers. She blasted Vi with something; I don't know what's wrong. She can't see."

A pink tinge swept across Violet's cheeks as Brainy came closer to better observe the glazed coating over her purple eyes. "It appears to be temporary blinding. Violet should be alright in thirty minutes to an hour." He said and released her chin. The haze was already clearing more. "She didn't get hit with a full blast; her eyes were partially covered and she wasn't looking right at your sister. If either had happened she could have been blinded for hours. This is most interesting." He said, getting a thoughtful expression. "So I'll be able to see soon enough that I can fight?" She said worriedly, her voice shaking. "Yes, you will be fully healed in the two hours it takes us to reach our destination." He confirmed.

"We could always leave your sister as a defense on the ship. Braden and several of the Substitutes will stay as well, Stone Boy for sure and most likely Chlorophyll Kid. The others will be put in the mini-cruisers."

Firegirl's expression turned horrified. "What? You're using my siblings as a last defense?!" He looked into her eyes, and she saw an unfathomable fear and sadness in them. "What choice do we have?" He said softly, turning away.

"Besides, if worst comes to worst, they can always bubble out." Violet added, blinking blearily. "Can you see us now?" Firegirl asked. She nodded. "You're very fuzzy, but I can see you well enough." Brainy jerked his head towards the corridor to the dorm rooms on the cruiser with a meaningful look at Firegirl before.

"Will you be ok Vi? Or should we take you to the bridge?" Firegirl asked. "No, no, I'm fine. I'll go back to Storm." She replied and made her way slowly along the wall back the way they had come.

Firegirl followed Brainy into the empty corridor, wondering what the odd little side-trip was about. "What's wrong Brainy?" She whispered. He looked down into her eyes, and she winced at the strangeness of them. It was like she didn't even know him anymore.

"I'm afraid, Brogyn." He said quietly. "We all are, Brainy." She replied gently, hoping to soothe him. He grasped her hand, his expression turning slightly panicked. "No, not for me. I'm afraid for you. I'm so afraid for you." She frowned at him. "What is this really about, Brainy?" He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"Dream Girl had a dream." He said hoarsely. Firegirl leaned her head against his cheek, her heart picking up pace.

"What was it about?"

She was trying to stay calm so he wouldn't see how frightened she was; Dream Girl's dreams almost always came true, no matter how horrible they were. "She had a feeling two days ago that she was going to have an important dream, so she let me record it. I went over the footage alone yesterday morning." She nodded; he had seemed very emotionally fragile all day.

"We were all fighting, and we were winning. Half the Anti-Legion was floating around out cold. You were ferocious; I was so proud of you." His voice cracked, but he continued. "Then there was a shout, and we all looked one way. Violet had gotten hurt; but she would be fine, I could see that. Then suddenly there was a scream…" He stopped, and she could feel his hands shaking against her back. "I turned around, and someone had shot you. You were holding your arm against your chest; my negative doesn't have as good aim as I do. But he leveled the blaster at your face and gave me an evil smile… And then there was a flash of light and the dream ended." He ended emotionlessly, obviously drained.

Firegirl pulled out of his arms and looked into his face, the same level as hers. "I'll watch my back really close, and I'll stay within a few yards of you at all times possible. Does that make you feel better?" He smiled faintly. "A little bit I suppose." She gently kissed him and rested her hand on his cheek.

"I promised I wouldn't leave you, didn't I?" She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm, turning her back. "Will you promise again?" His eyes were pleading with her. She smiled. "Querl Dox, I, Brogyn Aidan, hereby promise I will never ever, _ever_ leave you." She said confidently.

He smiled shakily. "That does make me feel better." She walked down the hall feeling like the end of the world was just around the corner.

* * *

"All Legionnaires to the Bridge!" Lightning Lad called into the flight ring, and soon the bridge was full of the Core Legionnaires. The other Legion Cruiser flew on behind them, where all the other Legionnaires had also gathered in the Bridge. "We are fighting for the fate of the Universe once again. We've got to be brave, strong and fight with all our hearts. To the Universe we will make this pledge! We will fight to the last man standing! We will be courageous, and we will never give up! We will win this fight for the Legion of Superheroes and for all the planets! We are the Legion of Superheroes!" Lightning Lad's hand shot into the air, and the rest of the Legionnaires echoed his gesture. "Long Live the Legion!" He cried. "LONG LIVE THE LEGION!!!!!" The cry echoed through two ships and reverberated through space.

A desperate hope in the final hours.

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

_Yeah...Like I said, kinda dumb, kinda Cheezy. But the Next part is kind of better? There's some cute fluff in it that somehow manages to be mixed with Angst..._

_REVIEW AND I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER!! Please. :D_

_~Firegirl~_


	9. Part 4 Chapter 2

_Chapter two of chapter four... Hope it's ok!_

_R&R&E!!!!!_

_I don't own the Legion of Superheroes, Supervillains or the Fatal Five. But I did create all the Anti-Legionnaires except for Drax._

* * *

**Chapter Four: Powerful Words**

**_Part two: The Strength of Love_**

It started so suddenly. One moment they were all standing tense in the docking bay, and the next they all shot off into space to meet the wave of dark Legionnaires. There were more of them than expected, and the LSV and the Fatal Five were there as well.

Superman shot after Drax, the latter looking surprised at the former's enormous growth spurt. Kel-El charged after the LSV members, a red streak as he shot away. The Anti-Legionnaires seemed to know exactly who their positive was and went straight for them, no matter who was in between.

Phantom Girl was suddenly bowled over by a white and black streak that shrieked in such a high pitch it made her cry out in pain. "I am Banshee!" She wailed before blasting Phantom Girl with another battering of screeching. Timber Wolf was grappling with a death pale creature with pointed ears, scraggly clothing, shaggy brown hair and blood red eyes. Suddenly Timber Wolf swelled and snarled menacingly, his fangs protruding from his mouth. Obviously his negative had not been expecting this, and Timber Wolf chased after him, howling like a rabid beast.

"Vampire Blood, stop running and fight, you coward!" A voice snapped, and the pieces snapped together for Firegirl. The voice was coming from a clip in Vampire Blood's ear; so the leader was in the ship.

"If you think you can do better, get down here and do it yourself Inteli-tron!" A girl with black hair streaked with sickly green and yellow hissed, aiming a kick at Triplicate Girl's shins. Firegirl put her plan together in less then ten seconds, record time for her fairly limited planning skills.

"Brainy, I'll be back soon. Be careful, and watch out for Dry Ice." She whispered in his ear before rocketing off towards the ship. A yellow and orange suited Negative with long black claws made to follow, but Brainy tackled him from behind. "No you don't!" He plunged into the fight.

* * *

Firegirl crept through the hall on Drax's ship, her boots making no noise as she moved, stealthily as possible. Suddenly there were footsteps, and she tensed. A girl with short orange hair stomped down the hall, pouting. "No one says no to me." She huffed, sending a death glare back the way she came. She rounded the corner and got a very big surprise.

Firegirl tackled her, covering her mouth to muffle her shout. She pinned the girl against the wall, still covering her mouth. "You are going to tell me exactly where the one called Inteli-tron is." She hissed. Alexis rolled her eyes and shrugged, motioning for the Legionnaire to let go. Firegirl carefully withdrew her hand, ready to snap it back if necessary.

"He's in the control room, but I would forget it if I were you; he's even worse than the others. High and Mighty Dr. Londo is running this whole thing though." Firegirl blinked in surprise at how helpful Alexis was being.

"If you excuse me, I'm off to watch the Legion be eliminated. After I show that robot boy whose boss." The rich girl muttered. Firegirl rolled her eyes and slammed her hand into Alexis's shoulder, giving her temporary paralysis before running off.

As she neared the bridge, there was the sound of a door opening. Metal feet clanked towards her, and she could hear mumbling. "A _guard_? What do they think I am, a servant robot? My intellect is at least twice as high as theirs. They just don't appreciate my talent." An electronic voice muttered. She stretched her foot out and winced as hard metal hit her boots. There was a clang, and a purple 'skinned' Coluan looking boy rolled back to a standing position.

"Intruder!" He hissed, and suddenly she noticed that his right arm was a laser cannon. Firegirl realized her plan might be a tad bit flawed and dove out of the way of his fire. She snapped her hands back, forming her fire whips of white hot fire specifically designed for melting Coluan armor. She had tried it; and man did it work! She slashed her left whip at him, and he easily dodged. She brought the other one around in a distraction attack, but suddenly there was a metal hand heading for her face. It collided with the side of her jaw, and she flew back against the wall. There was a loud bang, and spots began to dance in front of her eyes.

"Is this what the Legion sends? A little girl? How pathetic. I suppose I shall have to deal with you, since your negative seems otherwise occupied." He charged his cannon and aimed, and she weakly tried to stand. Suddenly there was the sound of a blaster cannon being fired, and Inteli-tron jerked back as he was hit square in the chest by a high-voltage charge. A figure stepped in front of Firegirl, holding a gun level with the robot's face.

"Leave her alone." Brainy said with a dangerous edge in his voice. "And the cavalry arrives. Unfortunately for you both, it is time for you to die." His smirk turned a shade darker. "I am pleased that I am able to dispose of my Positive personally. But it is a shame that you are a weak human instead of a Coluan. You would have been such a better opponent in your previous form." He cocked the Laser Cannon that was his right hand. Brainy grabbed Firegirl's arm, pulling her to a standing position and putting himself between her and the cannon as his mind raced for a plan.

The sound of charging electricity paused. "I am… confused." Both Legionnaires looked up. Inteli-tron was looking at them with an expression of doubt. "You shield her from the weapon, although it only means you will die a few moments before her. Why?" Brainy gazed into Firegirl's eyes for a moment before looking up.

"Because I love her." He said simply. Firegirl felt tears spring into her eyes; he loved her so much he was willing to die for her. She knew she felt the same way.

"Love. Define this word."

Brainy shifted himself so he was completely shielding her before continuing his conversation with Inteli-tron. "Love; an emotion of deep caring and strong attraction." He said, his arm gently looping around her. She realized they were stuck; run and Inteli-tron would surely blast them. Stay and… well, they were going to find out.

"And this… love, it is a feeling?"

Brainy smiled softly. "The very strongest of feelings." Inteli-tron frowned deeply. "Although we have many members among the Anti-Legion, none of them have ever mentioned love. We all consider each other as nothing more than fellow weapons with which to crush the Legion." His face darkened, and Firegirl took her chance. "Why aren't you in charge of this? You're obviously smarter then Dr. Londo."

When she saw his expression, she knew she had hit the right nerve; his arrogance. "I ask myself the same question every minute! They shove me aside as a guard, only commander over several other Negatives. I should be leading them all! Not that insolent Dry Ice." Firegirl unwound Brainy's arms from around her and stepped forward slightly, despite his protests.

"And what are you trying to gain by destroying us?" She asked softly, facing him. He met her eyes and frowned. "I… I am not sure. Drax simply said that you needed to be destroyed." She took another step towards him, and Brainy tensed. But the cannon was no longer aimed at the two; it was pointed harmlessly at the floor. "Join us. Why be a small piece of many on a weapon of destruction? Come with us, and we'll make you a vital part of a device of peace. You will never feel unimportant ever again. There's always someone looking up to you in the Legion." He looked at her and raised his hand that looked like a human hand, his eyes staring at it intently. Brainy looked like he was ready to explode from tension, and Firegirl motioned for him to calm down.

"The Negatives are all dark and hard and cold. But you humans…you seem warm and bright and full of life." He reached out and gently touched her bare hand; she must have lost her glove somewhere. His metal skin was cold and hard, just like the Anti-Legion. When she didn't pull her hand away, his mouth slowly turned slightly upward in a hesitant smile. "I will join you. But I do not know the way." He said softly, his hand still touching hers. She gently slipped her hand through Brainy's as he let out a huge sigh of relief. "We'll help you. But right now, we have a war to win."

* * *

Brainy felt shock sweep through him; if his Negative was so easily changed, what did that say about himself? Would he go to the side of Evil by nothing more then some inspirational words and a warm hand to hold? No, he told himself. It was Firegirl's abilities that had changed Inteli-tron. It would take much more to shake his own loyalties. The image of Brainiac 1.0's face rippled through his mind, and he shrank back from the image in shame. It was true. He had gone to the other side so easily... He followed sadly as Firegirl and Inteli-tron crept to the Bridge.

"Brainy, are you even listening?" She whispered, jerking him out of his reverie. He realized that although one soul had been won, there was still a war to win. The door opened, and Inteli-tron stepped through. The other pair activated their Stealth Belts and crept in after him.

"Inteli-tron! You are supposed to be on guard." Dr. Londo snapped. There was a soft hiss from the shadows, and Drax's Second in Command stepped out. "There was a disturbance, Inteli-tron. What was it?" Her voice was rock hard and deathly cold, reflecting her powers.

"It was Alexis; she is being a bit of a trouble maker." A velvet voice replied softly.

The doors slid open again, and Firegirl was reminded of the goddess of Darkness by the Negative who glided in. She was beautiful; her hair was long and shimmering and black, and her skin was purest white. Her eyes were a deep forest green, and her lips were pale and the perfect fullness. Her suit was simple, a green shirt that dipped to her collar bone and calf length green pants. She wore no shoes, and her feet were small and perfect. On her head was a small green crown with an emerald in the middle.

"Ah, Pluto. It's about time. What's this about Alexis?" The beautiful Negative shook her sheet of shiny black hair, reflecting rainbows from the lighting. "She was angry that we denied her the position of Second in Command. She is sulking." Firegirl felt a wave of shock; was she _helping_ them? "Tell her to get over it; she's such a spoiled little brat." Dr. Londo muttered, tapping a few keys. Dry Ice nodded, her expression disgusted. The Second in Command turned to observe Dr. Londo's activities, and Pluto's eyes flicked over and locked with Firegirl's. There was a look of complete understanding and trust in her lustrous eyes. "Both of you get back to your duties." Dry Ice snapped, and the two Negatives went out the doors, trying not to look obviously in a hurry.

When the doors closed behind them Pluto gave the two cloaked Legionnaires a scalding glare. "Put the cloaks down, please." She said. The air wavered, and two befuddled teens appeared. "Why didn't you rat us out?" Firegirl asked. To her surprise, Pluto smiled. "Because I was listening. I heard your beautiful speech about becoming an important piece in the device of peace, and it moved me. I have also dreamt of finding love; the other Negatives do not understand such feelings. But I am sure some could be made to believe given time."

Brainy smiled and twined his hand with Firegirl's; she was so amazing. 'That's my girl.' He thought happily. She had moved not one, but two ex-Supervillains and perhaps made it possible to save the Legion and the Universe.

"Now all we have to do is call off the Negatives." Pluto said to Inteli-tron. He nodded and opened a small panel in his arm. Firegirl realized there were brownish stains across his right arm and left knee. His right arm seemed to be permanently set as a Laser Cannon, and his left foot had less pressure on it than his right, as if it were damaged. She decided she would ask him about it later.

"Attention! Abort attack, I repeat, abort attack! Everyone back to the ship now!" He said into a microphone. Then he hit a button and held it closer to his mouth. "Stretch? This is Inteli-tron. I need you to come to the Docking Bay." He said softly. He hit another button. "Lily? Don't go to the main hatch; come through the docking bay." He made one more of these calls to a Negative called Tiny and then switched off his intercom. "That should give you're friends enough time to gather ranks. You two need to get out of here. We'll deal with the rest."

Firegirl felt tears sting her eyes; these were impossible odds. Even if a few other Negatives found truth in her words, Inteli-tron and Pluto and whatever allies they could gather would be accused of treachery. And if they stood to fight, they would surely die. "Go!"

They all took off down the hall as the main hatch opened and several Negatives came in, looking ticked off. The foursome stopped in the Docking bay, where two negatives were already waiting. "Legion!" A lanky boy snarled and shot his hand out. It stretched all the way across the hangar and made to grab Firegirl's wrist. But suddenly there was a shimmering green shield around her, and Pluto shook her head at the negative—obviously the one called Stretch.

"You two go. We'll try to get more followers and catch up with you. If we can't get anyone else we'll come anyway." Pluto said softly as she opened the door a crack. "Good luck." She called as they flew out. Firegirl glanced back and saw Pluto and Inteli-tron's expressions and finally started crying. "What's wrong?" Brainy asked, watching the tears float away. "I can't believe we changed them so much." She said, tears still streaming down her face. "Come on; we've got a war to finish."

* * *

The Legion was losing. The Antis–or Negatives or whatever they were—were leaving unconscious Legionnaires floating around in space left and right. Then suddenly, they all turned around and flew back to their ship as if the devil himself was after them. Lightning Lad took the opportunity and ordered everyone to gather the wounded and take a head count.

Shrinking Violet came with the report. "Ten injured; Phantom Girl got knocked out cold by that Banshee's voice, but she should be ok when she wakes up. Bouncing Boy somehow ended up as an oval instead of a ball, but I think a few minutes in the healing chamber and a bit a massaging can take care of that. Timber Wolf beat up the Vampire thing, but the creepy little girl in black sneak attacked him and he's got a broken hand—er, paw?—from that shadow thing of hers. Anyway, Chameleon Boy got knocked around pretty bad by his negative, and he'll be feeling it when he wakes up, but if we have to fight he can probably tough it out. And everyone got messed with by the Triplicate Girl negative; either way, Nemesis Kid is going to be down for a while: she broke his leg in three places. Blok is out cold, Element Lad got a cracked rib, Matter Eater Lad has a cracked tooth, Ultra Boy I think has a concussion, Colossal Boy got a finger broken and of course, Cosmic Boy is still crazy." Lightning Lad nodded; all in all, most of them could still fight. "Oh, and there's something else." He braced himself for news of a death.

"Brainy and Firegirl are missing."

His eyes shot open. "Missing? What do you mean missing?" She shrugged, looking like she was clueless and hating that feeling. "They disappeared a little after the fight started. I saw Firegirl flying off somewhere, but I lost sight of her after that. Brainy was fighting some thing with seriously wicked claws, and then I got jumped by that huge girl." She rubbed her neck where it was sore. "Colossal Boy and I switched negatives; his could shrink and mine got bigger. Ironic huh?"

Lightning Lad ran a hand over his face. "We have to find them."

Suddenly there was a shout. "Two flyers approaching! Exterior cameras focusing!" White yelled. Purple was nursing a bruised shoulder and orange had a twisted ankle across the room. They stayed separate so they wouldn't all have to feel the same aches and pains. The screen was suddenly filled by a welcome view: Firegirl and Brainy flying home, both looking oddly relieved. "Open the hatch quick." Karate Kid hit the button, and the two Legionnaires floated in and collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"Well, that was interesting." Brainy said with a strained voice. Firegirl was laughing and crying at the same time, wiping tears off her face. "What happened? Where were you?! We needed you out there!" Cosmic Boy snapped, earning an elbow jab from Saturn Girl. Brainy smiled weakly as Firegirl laughed again. "I think we did our fair share." They shared a look and both laughed in disbelief.

"I'm guessing this is going to be a long story." Kel-El muttered.

* * *

"So you turned two of the bad guys good?" Cham asked in awe, his left eye swollen shut. Firegirl was gently dabbing his slashes, cuts and bruises from Shifter's various morphs. Nemesis Kid was moaning as they set his leg for the healing chamber.

"Oh stop whining! If we don't set it right it will heal all wrong and we'll have to re-break it. Do you want that?" Sun Boy snapped. He shook his head and allowed him to bandage the splint around his leg. Timber Wolf was awake now and totally pissed off that he wasn't able to use his hand at the moment. Bouncing Boy said something to him across the room, and the werewolf chucked a roll of medical tape at the now oval boy. It hit him right on the head, and he whimpered. All three Triplicates were at his side in an instant, White and Orange cooing and soothing him while Purple scolded Timber Wolf. Firegirl laughed as the wolf-boy snarled and stalked into the kitchen, his hand bandaged and awaiting the Healing Chamber.

A few minutes later the smell of cooking drifted into the medical room. "He does that when he gets stressed." Violet whispered as she passed, and Firegirl giggled again.

Suddenly an alarm went off, and the Legionnaires who were patching up their injured comrades all jumped up. "A couple of flyers; it's the Negatives!" Lightning Lad shouted, and Firegirl raced out. She got to the window first and was met by a beautiful sight. Pluto and Inteli-tron were heading a V formation of several Negatives who all looked much less violent. Firegirl noticed grimly that Dry Ice was not among them. "I'll go talk to them."

Firegirl opened the airlock and went out to greet Pluto. The lovely Negative smiled a dazzling smile. "You have set us free from our bonds; the Anti-Legion will bother you no more. Those who would not see the truth were left behind on a disabled ship and will not attack you; they are outnumbered now. We are the ones who listened." She motioned behind her at the half-dozen or so Negatives that floated warily in their places.

"We were wondering if we may join your ranks." Inteli-tron said softly. Firegirl motioned for them to follow her, and they floated after her hesitantly. Brainy opened the airlock, and the Legion watched in amazement as Firegirl led five members of the Anti-Legion into their cruiser. "Firegirl, what in the world…" Lightning Lad stopped as a Negative stepped forward. He was dressed in grey and purple, and his eyes were a light shade of lavender. He had a jagged scar on his cheek, and his shaggy black hair hung in his eyes. "I am Dark Bolt, and we are the Negatives who are changed. Pluto and Inteli-tron have a proposition."

He stepped back into the shadows as the stunning Pluto moved forward. "You are all most likely wondering why we are on your ship. And I may not be the best one to explain. I'm not sure we all fully understand…" She looked at the floor, all her confidence drained. "Earlier today, a certain member of your team snuck onto our ship." Inteli-tron said, stepping forward next to Pluto to speak. He looked at Firegirl and she smiled encouragingly, her eyes sparkling with pride. "She would have been killed if not for the courage of another." His green eyes moved to his Positive. "It is a bit difficult to explain the power of their words. But they made me—and then us—understand that there is more then being just an instrument of destruction." Pluto finally looked up, and both of them met Firegirl's eyes. "We want to be a part of the device of peace." The other Legionnaires looked at each other in confusion. "They spoke of the cause of the Legion of Superheroes, and we were touched by their words." An enormous girl said, towering over all the other's heads. "We wish to join you in the cause of Justice." The Stretch pitched in. Inteli-tron met Firegirl's eyes again; his expression said more then words ever could, and she felt Brainy wrap his arms around her as tears of happiness began to fall again.

"We will fight for good. But we do not know the way." Lightning Lad stepped forward and held out his hand. Inteli-tron shook it firmly. "Then it's a good thing you have us to guide you."

* * *

The Antis dispersed to cabins; many of the Legionnaires would have to share with their Negative. Brainy slid the door to his cabin open and found Inteli-tron standing with his back to him. "What are you looking at?" He asked, and the robot turned around. In his hand was a small pink rectangle. "No, don't touch that!" Brainy snapped, whisking it away. Inteli-tron looked at him oddly.

"How did you become human?"

Brainy set the iPod down on its shelf with several other things; a tiny white dried flower, a stack of folded clothes, the remains of a burned and tattered Legion Suit and small hologram of a girl with curly dark blonde hair lying in a red and black bed, her eyes closed in sleep. "What do those items signify?" Inteli-tron asked curiously. Brainy blushed green. "They are Firegirl's possessions." He admitted.

As if on cue, there were three fast knocks and three slow knocks on the door. He slid the door open and Firegirl twirled in, flinging herself backwards across the bed as her cape swirled around her like a dancing flame. "Hey Inteli-tron." She said, waving at the Negative from her upside down position on the bed. He smiled hesitantly, as if he was unused to smiling. Brainy rolled his eyes and tossed a pillow at Firegirl. And, with her lightning fast reflexes, it hit her square in the face. She sat up and flung it back across the room. He ducked and it hit Inteli-tron in the back. He turned and gave them an annoyed look before going back to fiddling with Brainy's junk.

"You know, you need a nickname. Inteli-tron is so long." Firegirl said, keeping an eye on her boyfriend in case he decided to chuck another pillow at her. "What do you suggest?" Inteli-tron asked, his eyes questioning.

"How about I-T? Inteli-tron, the I and the T. Aye Tee. I-T." She grinned at his doubtful look. "I suppose it is acceptable." He gave in and wandered over to the shelf that held Firegirl's things. Brainy gritted his teeth; this stupid robot was determined to get him in trouble with her.

"These are yours?" He asked Firegirl. She stood up and went over, her blue eyes gleaming in curiosity. She picked up the iPod and laughed. "I was wondering where this wandered off to. I was heartbroken for months." She gave her boyfriend a look. He stared at his shoes in shame. "Although, it did give me an excuse to beg my parents for a new red one." She said with a grin. She put it back on its small stand and moved her hand to the flower in its tiny glass case. "It's bind weed." She said in awe. "I took it from your backyard; it is no longer in existence here." He said, still looking at the ground. She moved on to the next item. She picked up the clothes and shook the dust out from a red shirt. "You kept the clothes I bought you?" She asked in a soft voice. He nodded and mumbled something that sounded like 'maybe.' She refolded the clothes and lifted up the scorched remains of a suit. "My old Legion Suit! Heh. I guess the shoulder piece got burned up." She said, running her hand over the burn marks. "Like I said, no one messes with my Brainy." She gently rested it back on the shelf. The last item, in a small round projector, was the hologram of her. "When did you take this?" She asked, frowning. "The night I spent in your home when I took you back last time. I thought it would be our last meeting, and I wanted something more permanent to remember you by…" he trailed off at her silence.

"Are you angry?" She didn't reply, and I-T's mouth twitched up in a slight smirk. She set the picture back on the shelf and turned around. "You are angry." Brainy said sadly. "I am sorry if I 'creeped you out'. I was only intending-" His apology was cut off suddenly, because his lips were otherwise occupied as Firegirl flung her arms around his middle and kissed him fiercely. He wrapped his arms around her and tilted his head slightly to deepen the kiss. She responded fully, and they ended up against the wall. Inteli-tron observed all this with slight interest, wondering what on earth they were doing. When Firegirl let go of him she had tears glistening in her eyes, although they were both slightly out of breath.

"You are _so_ _**stupid**_ Brainy." She said. He took her chin between his fingers and drew her face to his, kissing her more gently. "After all, we're just two kids who fell in headfirst." She smiled and leaned her head against his neck; had he grown? She seemed to be looking up at him now…

"But There's Us." He kissed her head. "There's Us."

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_

Well, there you have it, Chapter Four complete. I do realize that the Anti-Legionnaires that go good were kind of...well, random. But I need them for a waaay later story, so deal with the randomness. XD

Review Pleez!

~Firegirl~


	10. Part 5 Chapter 1

_And here it is folks, the Infamous Chapter Five!!! I know how I've been bragging about it, so I thought I'd let you have it!!_

_I don't own the Legion of Superheroes, I don't own the Legion Cruiser, I don't own a Car, I don't own the Mini Attack Pods **on** the Legion Cruiser, I don't own any of the characters except Firegirl, I don't own the Jonas Brothers (dang it) I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, I don't own Avatar (Duh, or the finale wouldn't have sucked) and I don't own a brain that knows how to do Math Problems. On the Upside, I do in fact own a new red iPod. But none of you really care, sooo... I'll just shut up and let you read._

_R&R&E!!!_

_**Chapter Five: Darkness Rises**_

**_Part One: Where is the Darkness?_**

Brainiac Five walked down the snow covered streets of New Metropolis, humming a little tune and letting out little puffs of mist with each breath. He passed a jewelry store that advertised 'rare and unique pieces', some dating back to before the Great Crisis. A shining glint of silver caught his eye, and he turned to look in the window. His eyes were immediately drawn to a beautiful necklace; a silver chain intricately carved into small swirls and embedded with emeralds and carved gold tulips. In the center of the tulips and swirls was a multi-colored stone unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was almost hypnotizing as he stared into the tri-colored depths.

He heard a giggle and turned, and saw a young couple walking down the street holding hands. "Will you be my valentine?" The boy said, pecking the girl's cheek. She giggled again and flung her arms around him sideways. "Of course I will Carlyle! But Valentines Day is still a week away."

Brainy grinned when an idea struck him as he recognized the boy's curly blonde hair and the person it reminded him of.

"Hmm. Valentines Day."

He turned back and went into the jewelry store, shuffling through his pocket for his charge card. He entered, and a small tune played as he opened the door to tell the owner they had a customer. A short Durlan female with a huge smile appeared out of the back, a small pink flowered apron tied around her waist.

"Hello young man! How can I help you?"

Brainy smiled politely; Durlans were known for trying to weasel more money for something then it was worth. "Um, yes, well…" He fumbled. He wasn't quite sure what to say. There was a snicker behind the counter, and he caught a glimpse of two human girls giggling and shooting glances at him. He felt heat rush to his face as he blushed a dark green.

"That necklace in the window; how much is it?" He asked, pointing to the necklace.

The Durlan's smile disappeared. "Oh, _that_ necklace. It's very expensive, and it is very delicate. It takes someone very responsible to take care of it properly."

Brainy frowned; she didn't want him to buy her merchandise? He pulled out his golden Charge Card and showed it to her. "This will charge all payments to the Legion of Superheroes." He said hesitantly; he hated pulling the hero card.

The Durlan grinned and motioned for the girls to come over. One of them was there in an instant while the other came more slowly, as if she didn't care. "Kelli, Marsha, help this nice boy with the merchandise." She hustled off to scan the Charge Card.

The girl who had rushed over had reddish brown hair, pale green eyes and freckles dotting her nose. She was probably about five foot three, and she had a very effusive expression.

"Hi! I'm Kelli, what's your name?" She asked, and Brainy knew immediately she was the 'total spazz' type, as Firegirl described them. The other girl, Marsha, had deep chocolate colored skin, black hair and blue-grey eyes and was probably about five foot nine. Neither was stunningly beautiful, but both were fairly good looking.

"Stop flirting with him Kelli. Can we help you with anything?" She seemed the business type, and sure enough, a Junior Manager pin was clipped to her shirt. He nodded, trying to ignore the pouting Kelli.

"That Necklace in the window. How much is it?" Marsha looked surprised at his choice.

"Is it a present for someone?" Kelli asked, although she was obviously hoping it wasn't. Brainy nodded, trying to hide his exasperation. "I'll go get it." Marsha went off to find a soft velvet box for it and left poor Brainy alone with Kelli.

"So, how old are you?" She asked, her pale green eyes excited. "Uh, seventeen." He said, trying to pretend he was observing a pair of earrings.

"So who is this present for? You're sister?" He rolled his eyes; she was truly desperate.

He straightened up and looked at her. "No, it's for my girlfriend." He felt his lips turning up as he said it; he was the luckiest guy in the world. Kelli pouted and went and got the necklace off its shelf. She handed it to Marsha who put it in the box.

"Two hundred credits." She said. He handed her the Charge Card and watched as she keyed in the number and swiped the card. He winced at the price; Cosmic Boy would not be happy when he saw that on the Legion's tab. Marsha handed him the bag with the necklace and its velvet case (it was deep red velvet, he noticed).

He left the store with a sad wave from Kelli and an eye roll from Marsha. He smiled as he thought about the reason he was getting in trouble; Firegirl was going to go nuts when she saw this in a week. He pulled his jacket up against the bitter winter wind and headed home.

* * *

Firegirl stared at the ceiling as she sat in her chair in the Bridge of the Legion Cruiser. She was supposed to be on monitor duty, but nothing was happening anyway.

She pulled out a small holographic picture projector. It was a picture of her little Legion family; Braden and Skyler grinning and hanging on each other, Lexa with her I-look-way-older-then-I-am serious expression, Cham, NeK and DoubleK on the sides making various faces. And in the background, right behind Braden and Skyler, stood Firegirl and Brainy. He had his arms around her and had his lips puckered, leaning towards her for a kiss. She was making a face and rejecting him jokingly, her arms in front of her and her head turned away, trying to duck out of his embrace. But his arms were wrapped securely around her waist so she couldn't escape.

They had worked for a while to get everyone in the right pose; one that looked totally natural and normal for their everyday life. She smiled and put it away.

Braden and Skyler had gone home a few weeks ago; they would never remember their time with the Legion. Lexa also went home, but her memory was not erased. "Hey, if I get to remember why can't she? She's a hundred times more responsible then me." Firegirl had made a point at their farewell. She had scowled darkly when everyone mumbled their agreement.

There was a loud crash, and she leaped out of her chair, almost tripping over her stupid cape. "Ouch! Ugh-Tiny!" The sound of Bouncing Boy falling over the small new Legionnaire echoed through the ship.

"Sorry Bouncy!" A teeny voice squeaked. Firegirl shook her head; the Legion had welcomed the Negatives who are Changed with open arms after a bit of persuasion, and now they were just more members of the team. They had even been sworn in and given Legion rings. As a sign of loyalty they had tossed their old Anti-Legion shields and weapons.

The door to the Bridge slid open, and she pretended like she had actually been paying attention to the monitors. "Anything to report FG?" Bouncy asked, dropping into his own chair. Tiny hopped up into his chair as well; he was normally very small, like Violet half-shrunk. He got a little bigger, but not much. Large Lily was enormous, taller then Colossal Boy when he was 'normal human sized', about Six Foot. She also got a bit smaller; both their powers were pretty limited. She had noticed that many of the former Anti-Legionnaires whose positives didn't have very important or amazing powers weren't very powerful at all.

"So, guess what holiday is next week!" Triplicate girl danced into the room, her blue eyes shimmering with excitement. "Holiday?" Firegirl and Bouncy asked simultaneously. Triplicate pulled out a bag and flung little paper hearts all around the room. "Valentines Day!" Bouncy made a gagging face at Firegirl when Trip's back was turned, and she snorted trying to hold down a laugh. "We'll be heading back to HQ before then." Cosmic Boy said as he walked in, data pad in hand. "We will?" Firegirl perked up instantly; she'd be home with Brainy for V-day!

"Bouncing Boy, set a course for Earth."

Bouncy obeyed, tapping in the coordinates. Suddenly there was another crash, and both Firegirl and Bouncing Boy burst into muffled snorts of laughter as Cosmic Boy stepped in a pile of paper hearts and skidded across the floor, falling flat on his back. He clambered up and brushed himself off, trying to regain his dignity.

"It's too late; all dignity is long gone." Firegirl whispered to Bouncy. He howled with laughter, and they both collapsed into their chairs as their ship headed home.

* * *

Brainy walked into the Legion Tower and shivered as the warm air in the building contrasted the cold air outside. "Brainy, guess who will be back soon?" Phantom Girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looking excited. "The Legion Cruiser is coming back this weekend! So they'll all be here for Valentine's day!" She grinned in exhilaration, and Brainy knew full well why she was so excited; Timber Wolf was on Mobile HQ right now.

"In other words, we'll get cookies from Timber Wolf?" Cham asked hopefully, looking up from where he and Infectious Lass were playing chess. She had to keep using her inhaler, and there was a little bubble around her whenever she was in the Legion HQ for fear of her spreading disease around.

"Checkmate." She said and knocked over his king. He groaned. "Why are you so good at this game? Have you been getting lessons from Brainy?" Brainy grinned, his chess skills known throughout the tower as the best of the best.

"Didn't Firegirl beat you?" Lightning Lad asked, his electric blue eyes glinting mischievously.

"Only because I let her!" Brainy snapped, blushing. Cham howled with laughter, and Infectious Lass started coughing and had to breathe from her inhaler.

"Sure you did." Phantom Girl grinned. He tossed his coat at the closet and stomped down the hall, making more of a fuss than was necessary.

He opened his door and flopped down on his bed, his head hanging over the edge. He sat there for a moment before the blood rushing to his head made him feel sick and he sat up. The red velvet case fell out of the bag, and he leaped after it. It was small and smooth in his hands, and the urge to open it and look at his gift for Firegirl proved too great to resist.

He lifted the lid and was caught by the beauty and mystery of the stone; it was incredible and terrible, all at once. He gently slid it under his pile of earth clothes on his 'Firegirl shelf' and let his head hit the pillow. 'Maybe I'll just rest for a few minutes…' he thought before drifting off into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

The Legion Cruiser landed outside Legion HQ and the Legionnaires all emerged out into the snow. Timber Wolf narrowed his eyes at the fluffy white stuff, floating over it so his paws wouldn't have to touch it. Bouncing Boy was making a snowball, his eyes glued to the back of Sun Boy's head as an evil smirk spread across his face. Firegirl was making little shapes out of the steam from her mouth, and she left little puddles wherever she stepped. Triplicate Girl was shivering, her normal attire replaced by the outfit she had worn as Duo Damsel (with white stripes added of course).

The Legionnaires from the tower all raced out, and before anyone could blink a snowball fight had ensued. Cham got whacked over the head with a perfect shot by Nemesis Kid. "Ha!" The two leaped into battle, snowballs--and fists and feet--flying. Ultra Boy joined in a soon everyone was covered in snow from his super fast attacks. Firegirl chucked a snowball at Bouncy, and he ducked.

The little ball of slush (she was just too hot to make a solid snowball) hit Cosmic Boy right in the face. He blinked in shock while everyone laughed. Lightning Lad took the opportunity and pegged him with a hard-packed snowball right in the small of his back.

Firegirl looked around and felt her heart swell; she had so many friends, more then she had ever had before. And all of them loved her for who she was. She realized that there was no green-skinned boy among the romping Legionnaires, so she went in to find her missing boyfriend.

* * *

There were three fast and three slow knocks on Brainy's door, and he floundered back into consciousness. "Come in." He slurred, rubbing his eyes and trying to wake himself up. A familiar shape entered, and he grinned sleepily.

"You're a sight for sore eyes." He said as she sat down. He took in her appearance; her wild dirty blonde curls in a dripping cloud around her head, her sparkling blue eyes, her straight teeth (She no longer had braces) her full pink lips and her ever beaming smile.

"You're missing one heck of a snowball fight." She said, and shook her wet curls. "You're dripping all over my floor." He observed, and they laughed and twined hands.

She sat there gazing around the room for a moment, while he stared at her with a bit of a dreamy smile. She seemed to notice and pulled her hand out of his. "So, you know what's happening in a few days, right?" He grinned and snuck his arm around her waist.

"Hm. Is it a holiday?" He asked, pulling her closer. She punched his shoulder playfully. "Valentines Day?" Brainy guessed. She squealed in delight and flung her arms around him in an attack hug. He smiled blissfully; all was perfect with the world.

"So, should we go and get back at Violet for hitting me with a snowball?" She asked with her arms still around him. He let go of her and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Only if I get to cream Cham." They both shot off towards the door, hoping the fight wasn't over yet.

* * *

Shrinking Violet was hiding, shrunk, behind a bush when she heard a noise. She grew to full size and turned around, only to have a shovelful of snow land on top of her head. "Ha, ha! Gotcha'!" Brainy grinned at her from up a tree, an empty snow shovel in his hand. She growled and scaled the tree, grabbing his foot as leverage.

"Hey, get off!" He snapped and ended up falling off backwards. He landed with a poof in a drift of snow, leaving a Brainy shaped imprint. Violet snorted and got hit in the back of the head by another snowball, courtesy of Chameleon Boy.

Firegirl was grabbing snowballs, her warmer than average hands turning them to icy slush. She would chuck them right at anyone who turned their back and give them a nice cold wake-up call.

By now all the Legionnaires had formed teams. Violet and Colossal boy were facing off with Chameleon Boy and Nemesis Kid (poor boys never stood a chance). Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl were both ducked behind a little wall of snow which was being pelted by Bouncing Boy, who was being handed snowball after snowball from Triplicate Girl. Brainy and Firegirl made a pretty good team Sniper, as she called it, sneaking up around behind anyone they could find and pelting them.

Cosmic boy had gone in nursing ice burns after the other Legionnaires had mostly all teamed up on him. Sun Boy, unlike Firegirl, gave up trying to throw the stupid little balls of meltable material and had also gone in to get a cup of hot chocolate to warm himself.

But Timber Wolf and Phantom Girl were the rulers of the battlefield. He would leap up out of nowhere and pelt you, while she snuck up, invisible, and pelted you more. No one had gone the day without feeling the wrath of this deadly team.

When everyone was sufficiently soaked and cold, they all tromped inside for hot cocoa. There was a fire blazing in a huge fireplace, although Computo could have warmed the tower easily. The snowball veterans all crowded around the fire, blankets and pillows all around. Firegirl and Brainy both wrapped up firmly in a large red blanket, Firegirl trying to generate as much heat as she could in her half-frozen state.

There ended up not being enough blankets for everyone, leaving Violet standing shivering, and she and Brainy had the most extra room beneath their big poofy blanket. Violet shrank down and sat next to Brainy, blushing the whole time as he let her sit on his knee so they could all get enough blanket.

When they had warmed enough to move out of their seats, the Legionnaires all drifted off to bed, leaving small wet spots on the floor where they had been. Firegirl stood up and stretched, dropping her half of the blanket of top of Brainy's head. She kissed his cheek and whispered, "Goodnight," before floating off to her room.

She smiled as she saw the date on the Calendar; February 10. Four days left before the best holiday of the year.

And, although she didn't know it, four days before her life turned upside down.

* * *

February 13 was a silent and hushed frenzy of the Legionnaires making secret plans, presents and preparations for the next day. It seemed like almost everyone was hiding out in a different room; Timber Wolf hadn't come out of the kitchen all day, and the smell of baking spread through the tower. Firegirl and Brainy both walked around the tower and went about business smugly; they had prepared for this beforehand.

So there.

When night finally came, the air seemed to buzz with excitement. What would the next day bring? They all had headed off to bed before ten, and the halls were silent long before they would have normally gone to bed. Firegirl thought it was like Christmas; everyone had shot into bed in anticipation then too.

She tossed her suit into the laundry machine for its nightly washing and pulled on her fuzzy pajamas before leaping into her bed and burrowing down to escape the chill. She slipped into sleep as Brainy clambered into his own bed a few doors down. He had the sudden urge to look at the necklace he had bought for Firegirl.

He lifted it out from its hiding place and opened the red velvet case. The tri-colored stone seemed to emit a pulsating glow, like a heartbeat. He got a sudden chill and put it away, the cold hand of fear gripping his heart for an unknown reason. He slipped into his bed and tried to block out the feeling that had settled in his chest. A feeling of coming doom.

Never a good thing.

* * *

Firegirl opened her eyes as the bright sunlight streamed in her window, reflected and magnified by the snow. She leaped up and ran to the window; a fresh layer of pure clean white snow had fallen overnight. She grabbed her suit and pulled it on, her heart pounding unevenly. Brainy would surely have some big surprise for her, and she had the present for him hidden under her bed. She drenched her hair with warm water and scrunched it up into its usual curly cloud before sliding the door open. The halls buzzed with silent excitement as the other Legionnaires emerged. She walked down the hall, noticing the wrapped bundles in many of the others' hands.

Suddenly there was the sound of feet pounding, and she turned around just in time to be attacked by a certain green boy. Brainy charged at her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist, swinging her around through the air and landing her in front of him. She laughed breathlessly, holding tight to a little wrapped package in her hands. "Happy Valentines Day." He said with a grin and planted a kiss on her lips.

They walked hand in hand to breakfast and found heart shaped muffins and cookies waiting along with a pink colored drink Firegirl assumed was strawberry milk. "Hey, what's the present for?" He asked jokingly. She slugged his arm with her famous 'you idiot' expression. "

So what are we going to do today?" She asked as she grabbed a pink iced muffin. He grinned; he had been thinking about a special place to give her the present. "I think I know the perfect place." She cocked her head, asking him to tell her more.

"Where is this 'perfect place?" He shook his head. "Not a secret if I tell you." She crossed her arms and scowled.

"Well if this place is so special, why are we still waiting around here?!" He grabbed her hand, and the two flew out the door into the cold February air.

* * *

Brainy led them to a small park in the middle of New Metropolis, and from the air the sidewalk looked like it was shaped like a heart. They touched down and walked the heart-walk together, Firegirl leaving little melted footprints behind them. When they reached a snow covered bench, Brainy made to sit down, but Firegirl stopped him and sent a blaze of fire at the metal bench. The snow melted and the water it left evaporated into little wisps of steam, leaving the bench warm and steaming faintly in the frigid weather. She sat down, blowing a little ball of fire into her hands to warm herself. Brainy pulled out the little velvet case, and her eyes got huge.

"If there's a ring in there I will officially begin freaking out." She said a little shakily. He laughed and popped it open. If possible, her eyes got even bigger. "It's beautiful!! It must have cost a fortune, Brainy." She said, her eyes tracing the delicate carvings. He pulled it out and moved behind her. She lifted her hair so he could put the necklace on her. He slipped it around her neck and fastened it. He jerked back as a volt of static electricity snapped his hand, leaving it numb and faintly tingly.

Firegirl let her hair drop, and suddenly Brainy was hit with the feeling that he had done something terribly wrong. She turned around and patted the seat next to her. When he sat down, she dropped a parcel in his lap.

"Well, I didn't go out and spend a million credits, but maybe you'll like it."

He opened it and pulled out a jacket. It was black and had his Legion Symbol on it--the three connected circles from his Coluan days--and beneath the symbol it said 'Brainiac Five'. He unfolded it, and a small picture fell into his lap. He picked it up and laughed. In neon pink letters it said, 'Firegirl is Burnin' Up for you!' and had a flaming heart around a picture of them hugging each other. He pulled her close and hugged her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"That's really sweet, Brogyn." He said softly. She scowled, crossing her arms. "Well your present is way better, so now I feel like a total moron." He turned to face her, giving her the well known 'you idiot' look.

"I love it because you made it from your heart."

She snorted. "You sound like my mother." She suddenly looked downcast, her eyes staring at the ground as she blinked away tears. "You miss them don't you?" He said softly. She nodded, wiping away the few tears that escaped. "But I love you so much! I can't decide who to choose." She sobbed, and he pulled her into his arms, letting her cry into his shoulder. "It'll be alright." He comforted, holding her tightly as he realized he never wanted to let her go.

When she stopped crying, they walked home together through the streets of New Metropolis. The Christmas Lights still hadn't come down, and the whole city was aglow in the dim winter light as dark grey clouds crowded over the sun.

When they got back to the Legion tower, there was a commotion. Saturn Girl was standing to the side looking totally pissed while Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy shouted at each other.

"All you've ever cared about it how you look!" Lighting Lad snapped.

"Well you don't care at all!" Cosmic Boy hissed back.

"I care about her!" Lightning Lad pointed at Saturn Girl.

Cosmic Boy's jaw tightened. "And you think I don't?"

Lightning Lad crossed his arms. "No. I think you don't care at all."

Saturn Girl looked like she had a migraine, and she was rubbing her temples in exasperation.

"How can you say that? I care more then you do!" The purple-clad leader snapped.

"Yeah, sure. Because you were totally there when she was recovering from when Esper blasted her. And you were there when she was unconscious in a healing trance at the hospital. Oh, right, no you weren't. If I remember, you were accepting awards."

Cosmic Boy stepped back as if Lightning Lad had struck him. "It was my duty to the Legion! Or have you forgotten the rest of them? There are more people in the Legion then just Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad." To emphasize his point, he motioned at all the Legionnaires looking on from corridors and corners. Then Saturn Girl shoved past the two of them and stormed down a hall to her room, her pink eyes furious.

Everyone else slunk away to leave the two young men to their argument.

Firegirl passed a mirror and caught a glimpse of something huge and definitely not human nor any of the Legionnaires. She whirled and looked again, but she saw only her own frightened reflection, the necklace resting in the dip in her collarbone. Her Legion suit had been replaced by a warm winter coat along with black pants and a black shirt that curled gracefully across her neck, the collar just below her collarbone. It showed off her necklace, emphasizing it with the cut of the collar.

"Firegirl? What's wrong?" Brainy appeared in the reflected image, his green eyes worried. "Oh, nothing. I was just looking at the necklace." She said and followed him down the hall. But she knew she had seen something big and brown and furry in the glimpse of the reflection.

She decided it was probably just her imagination again; it had a tendency to play tricks on her.

* * *

Phantom Girl, invisible and intangible, crept up on the baking Timber Wolf. He had a big plate full of snicker doodles in his oven-mitt-covered hands. As he set the plate down, she pounced. He spun around and ducked under her, sweeping the plate out of her grasp.

"Cheater!" She whined, reappearing and becoming tangible again. "Princess." He shot back. She stuck her tongue out at him and swiped her arm out, trying to grab a cookie. He batted her hand away. "Cut it out, Phantom Girl. You'll get some later!" She pouted and sat down hard at one of the high stools at the kitchen counter, trying to look pitiful.

"Oh stop sulking." He said in exasperation. She slid down further into the seat. He sighed and handed her a cookie.

"Yay!" She exclaimed and chomped it down in two bites. He rolled his eyes and pulled another plate of cookies out. "Ooh, are those sugar?" She asked, leaning over his shoulder. He nudged her in the ribs to tell her to get out of his way. She stepped back a bit and watched him in silence for a few seconds. "Seriously, are those sugar cookies? Because I've decided I like those even more then snicker doodles." She said with an innocent grin. He rolled his eyes.

"Go bother Lightning Lad for a while, would you? He and Cosmic boy have been going at it again." She caught the hint and flew out to find a Legionnaire in need of a major dose of cheer-up.

* * *

Carlyle walked down a quite side street of New Metropolis, hurrying to get home. He had been late at Roxanne's, and he knew his folks would be worried. He rounded a corner, and suddenly the sound of running feet and heavy panting met his ears. He stopped and turned around, nervous.

The sight that met his eyes made his blood freeze solid in fear.

A huge creature unlike anything he had ever seen was charging down the street, tongue hanging out and saliva dribbling across the ground. It had sleek reddish-brown fur and a ferocious set of teeth. Powerful muscles bulged under its skin as it ran, and wicked claws made gouges in the snow as it pounded towards him. He shrieked in fear and dove behind a car, but the monster just ran on, panting heavily. As it passed Carlyle glimpsed a pair of fiery red eyes and something shiny around its neck.

Then it leaped, at least twenty feet straight up, onto a low rooftop and shot away. A bloodcurdling howl echoed through the night as a new monster was released into the night.

* * *

_And the first chapter of Chapter Five is closed!!! Hope you liked it, and I hope it wasn't too...weird I guess is the word I'm looking for?_

_Anyway, Pleez Review!!! It truly makes my day!!!_

_~Firegirl~_

* * *


	11. Part 5 Chapter 2

_Well, here's the second half of that infamous Chapter Five I've been bragging about! Hope you like it as much as I did._

_R&R Pleez!_

_Does Firegirl really exist? No. So do you really think I own LoSH? No._

* * *

**_Chapter Five: Darkness Rises_**

**_Part Two: Darkness Within_**

Firegirl felt someone shaking her, and she opened her eyes blearily. "Firegirl! We've got big trouble!" Brainy was shaking her and shouting in her ear. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What." She hissed. She was sooo tired; she felt like she hadn't slept in weeks even though she just woke up.

"There have been reports of a strange creature roaming the streets of New Metropolis." He said, and she managed to crack an eye open.

"What kind of creature?"

He pulled out a piece of paper; it was a photograph caught by a security camera. Firegirl took a look at it and shivered. It was a huge monster with reddish brown fur and evil looking red eyes.

"Were they able to capture it?" He shook his head. "It was last sighted at about one in the morning headed our way, but then it disappeared." She stood up, ignoring the head rush she got. "So are we putting out patrols to look for it?" He shook his head. "We have no idea what this is. It could be an escapee from a zoo, one of Dr. Londo's experiments, an undiscovered species of alien, a mutated known creature; the list goes on and on." She nodded, trying to make the spots in front of her eyes go away.

"Are you feeling well? You look like you're sick." Brainy observed, obviously concerned. "Yeah, I'm fine." She lied. He left to let her get ready, and then they headed down to the briefing room for more information.

* * *

The room was spinning, and Firegirl felt as if there was a wild animal pounding inside her head, trying to get out. It almost seemed like she was fighting that animal, trying desperately to keep it locked away, keep it from escaping. She sat through the briefing in the back of the room, her hand pressed over her eyes to keep the headache under control. After Cosmic Boy finished speaking, the Legionnaires filed out.

A pair of gold boots appeared in Firegirl's downcast vision, and she looked up wearily. Lightning Lad was standing there, his electric blue eyes concerned. "You ok Fireball? You seem less Fiery then usual." She didn't even have the energy to laugh sarcastically at his pun, and she shook her head. He sat down beside her, his eyes watching the other Legionnaires as they walked past. Soon they were the only ones left.

"You look terrible." He said, gently resting his gloved hand on her shoulder. She nodded weakly. "I _feel_ terrible. I have a horrible headache, I feel like I haven't slept in a week and I'm sore all over." She said. She suddenly wondered why she was telling Lightning Lad instead of Brainy. Then she realized; Brainy was working hard on solving this mystery, and he didn't need to have to worry about her being sick as well. He rubbed her shoulder soothingly, like her mom used to do when she was sick.

"I wonder if it could be something to do with the cold. Sun Boy has been under the weather as well, just like he is every winter."

She shook her head. "No, I love the cold. It's something else. I- I…" she stopped, not sure she should tell him everything. "What?" His eyes were so brotherly, so understanding and compassionate she couldn't stop the words. "I feel like my body is a cage! Like there's something—something dark and dangerous and evil— deep inside of me. And it's trying to get out. But I don't know if I can hold it in forever." She dropped her head into her arms. "It sounds pretty bad." He said.

She smiled dryly; he wasn't pretending everything was ok the way Brainy might. He was just telling it to her the way it was. She nodded, and felt a pair of large arms wrap around her. She turned and let him embrace her; the warmth and safety of his arms made her feel protected, and she felt as if the thing inside her might run away. _'Go you evil thing!'_ She thought fiercely. _'I have my big brother, and he will protect me! So go before he comes after you!' _

But then he let go of her, and she felt the presence in her head again, pounding harder than ever to get out. She clenched her jaw and forced it back down, just enough to be able to concentrate. "Are you going to be ok? I can ask Saturn Girl to do a mind sweep; maybe this is a mental thing that can be dispelled." He suggested.

She gritted her teeth and shook her head. "No. We don't need to drag anyone else into this. It's probably just some passing illness. I'll be fine." He shrugged and stood up, offering her his hand. She let him help her stand and walked wearily to her post at the Monitor.

* * *

Brainy frowned at the picture of the creature; it most certainly had something around its neck. He enlarged it and zoomed in on the item, but the monster's shoulder was blocking his view. "Sprock." He muttered under his breath, cursing his bad luck.

He heard footsteps, and he turned around. Firegirl was walking down the hall, looking as if she didn't feel well at all. He turned to go and ask her about it, but then a small girl dashed in. "Brainy! I found one of the people who saw it up close!" Violet exclaimed, leading the boy with blonde hair who had reminded him about Valentine's Day. He looked dazed, as if he wondered what he was doing here.

"Please, have a seat." Brainy said, motioning at a chair. This was a very pressing matter; he decided he would find out what was wrong with Firegirl later.

* * *

As night fell, Firegirl dropped into bed, dead tired. She closed her eyes and willed sleep to take her. She had barely closed her eyes when she began to dream. The nightmares plagued her, but she could never remember why they were so scary.

A few minutes later, the window banged against the wall, open to the wind of the night.

* * *

Brainy sighed and rubbed his eyes; it was very late, and this case was going nowhere. He left Computo to shut down the Legion tower and crawled into bed. His room was right through the wall to Firegirl's, and he could hear the soft music that always put her to sleep playing faintly. Then he thought he heard a crash, and he sat up. Was someone trying to break into Firegirl's room? He mentally slapped himself; how could anyone get into the Legion Tower? The windows could only be opened by someone on the inside.

He decided it was his imagination and lay back down to sleep.

* * *

Several weeks passed the same way; Brainy completely involved in the case of the Creature, which continued to appear each night. It also managed to always evade all attempts to capture it. Firegirl was as sick as ever, and she had been relieved of all duties until she got better. She spent most of her time in her room, trying to sleep but waking every hour from nightmares, sweating with her heart pounding in fear. It was one of few evenings when she had finally been able to fall asleep when Brainy burst through the door.

"Firegirl, wake up!" he called, shaking her shoulder. She cracked an eye open. "Yes?"

He held up a folder and shook it urgently. "Someone was attacked last night!!!" She shot up in bed, but had to pull the quilt around her as she shivered. "What? The Creature again?" He nodded, and his eyes had an odd look in them. He was keeping something from her. "The man it attacked had a camera with him. He managed to get a pretty good shot of the face and upper torso before it chewed him up."

She winced. "Did he… I mean, is he…" Brainy shook his head. "He'll live, but he suffered severe slashes from those claws." She shivered and noticed he wasn't meeting her eyes. "What did you find?" She asked. He handed her a picture out of the folder. She looked down at it and her hand flew to the hollow of her throat- where the necklace rested. "It looks like… but it can't be… it's my…" Her fingers curled around the necklace and she looked up with a frightened expression.

"It's my necklace!"

Brainy nodded solemnly. "It would appear so. But what I don't understand is everything else." Suddenly his eyes lit up in fear. "You've been tired and sore, as if you've been exercising all night." She shrugged. "I was, but I feel much better then I did a week ago. But I'm still so tired…" She sighed and nestled deeper into the blankets, trying to escape his stricken gaze. "I'm not sure what this indicates. But, if I could just run a few tests on the necklace…" Her eyes widened, as if the idea greatly alarmed her.

"No! I, I mean, it would be bad luck. And I really don't want to part with it." She said hastily, pulling the quilt higher. Brainy darted around behind her, and his hand wrapped around her wrist. "Please! If this is all adding up to what I believe it is…" He trailed off, his eyes falling on her arms as the quilt dropped from around her shoulders. She looked down too, and realized that he was staring at her hand.

Her fingers were stained with dried blood.

Brainy flinched away, eyes widening. He dropped her hand, backing up. "Were you aware that you were the Creature?" He asked, staying a safe distance away, his hand on his blaster cannon. "I would have told someone, told you—"

"Would you? You always think you can handle anything and everything! You never ask for help, even when you need it! How long have you known?!" He demanded, pulling his gun from its holster.

Firegirl began to get angry. "Yes, I knew. I've known I was the creature since I started remembering the nightmares. I would wake up and remember nightmares of running on rooftops and screaming people. And my pajamas would be lying on the floor, and somehow I would be wearing a different pair. And my hands were scratched from running on paws that weren't broken in yet. But they got stronger." She ended in a deadly tone.

"Strong enough to nearly kill a man?"

She jerked her head up, tears forming in her eyes. "I didn't mean to! I'm hardly even aware when I am transformed, I didn't have any choice—"

He had suddenly lunged for her, his fingers wrapping around the stone on her neck. A many-colored bolt of something stronger then electricity lanced up his arm, and he cried out, letting go and falling to the floor. He held his arm to his chest, trying to stop the burning sensation that was rippling up and down his body. Firegirl was standing now, her eyes turning a fiery shade of red and her body bulging oddly. The light from outside had faded as night fell. As he sat there dumbfounded on the floor, the demonic red eyes of a monster turned for a moment to the sapphire blue of his love. She managed to whisper one word.

"Run."

And then a howl ripped from her throat and the blue irises and pupils faded to be replaced by solid angry red. Brainy scrambled up and shot out the door, sliding across the metal flooring as she snarled and hurled the metal door, freshly ripped off its sliders, after him. It missed, but as it slid it hit him in the leg and made him crumple to the ground. The other Legionnaires all heard the commotion and came running. Violet was the first one there, and she helped Brainy stand.

"You're shaking like a leaf! What on earth happened?" She asked, holding his trembling green hand in her pale steady one. "Fi-fi-fireg-g-girl!" He managed to gasp out. "What's wrong? Is she alright?" Another voice said, and then Lightning Lad was kneeling beside them as well.

Brainy shook his head, holding down a cry of pain as his whole body cried out from the feeling of fire that was raging through his nervous system. "Her necklace… The creature… Her dreams…" He tried to stammer out the story, but the pain and the shock from the bolt of multi-colored energy and the terror of seeing the creature so close made it impossible to speak. He felt Violet stroking his hand and felt his racing heart calm a bit. He realized what might have to be done and almost collapsed. "Did you tell her about the attack? She might have some idea about what the creature is." Bouncing Boy said from behind them. Brainy shook his head.

"No." He looked up weakly, meeting the worried eyes of his comrades with a defeated feeling.

"Firegirl _is_ the Creature."

* * *

The whole Legion burst through the doors and flew out into the night, searching for their transformed friend. Violet and Brainy flew over the west side of town. As they flew over Valentine Park, Brainy felt hot tears stinging his eyes. He brushed them away, but not before Violet saw them. "We'll get her back, Brainy." She said and reached over, hesitantly taking his hand in hers. He did not respond; he simply let her hold his limp hand and lead him on the search.

Lightning Lad was the one who found her. He was shooting over the city as fast as he could, calling her name into the night air. Suddenly a flash of something abnormal even for the 31st century snatched his attention, and he turned just in time to shout in surprise and fear.

A huge and terrifying creature had leaped off the nearest skyscraper, and its paws hit him square in the chest. They both went down, hitting the pavement hard and skidding to a halt across the asphalt before coming to a halt in City Park. He staggered up, his normal arm that he had slid across the pavement on scraped and bleeding. The Creature leaped up, snarling, with long tendrils of saliva dripping onto the pavement as it panted.

"Firegirl! Calm down. I want to help you." Lightning Lad said softly, holding out his hand. She shot around behind him and bowled him over. He sprawled into a somersault and struggled to get up. "Everyone, I found her. We're on Main Street!" He managed to gasp into his flight ring. She swiped at his leg, and he felt a tendon snap, followed by a screaming wall of pain. He went down hard, crumpling into a helpless heap on the ground. The Creature stood over him, paw raised for the killing blow.

"NO! Brogyn, don't!!"

Brainy was suddenly standing in front of Lightning Lad, arms thrown out protectively. "You have to fight the darkness, Firegirl! This is not who you are!" He realized he had taken those words from Superman, long ago when he had been the one out of control and his friend was trying to save him. Whatever he said, it had a dramatic effect. She backed away as the other Legionnaires landed around them. They closed in, surrounding and trapping her. He moved towards her to calm her, but she turned and slammed her paw against his side. He flew into the air and hit the side of the nearest building hard. There was the unmistakable and sickening crack of breaking bones, and he slid to the ground and didn't move.

The Legion was shocked into a standstill, staring at the motionless body of Brainy and the huge form of Firegirl. She let out a piercing howl that made even Timber Wolf wince. She stood over him, head cocked as if deciding whether to eat him or just slice him in half with her claws.

As she extended her right paw to destroy him, he groaned and opened his eyes. He looked up and saw his demise waiting above him, and his expression turned to one of sheer terror. He flung his arms over his head and cried out, expecting the cruelest kind of death to claim him; killed by one he loved. But the paw raised to smite him lowered, and he looked up fearfully. The Creature was looking down with an oddly human expression, and when he met her eyes he found himself looking into a sea of horrified blue. The Creature backed away and stumbled to the wall of the nearest building, her form shifting oddly. She supported herself against it as she slowly began to change back into her human form.

As the red fur gave way to curly blonde hair, she slid down the wall and began to cry. She was now wearing a tattered pair of pajamas, and her shaking hands and feet were turning blue as she crouched in the snow. Brainy stood up, wincing as he tried to put weight on his right leg. He hobbled over and knelt beside Firegirl. She had her knees drawn up to her chest, and she was sobbing. He touched her shoulder, and she looked over her shoulder at him, her tear-streaked face afraid.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! I never meant to hurt anyone, I swear I didn't—" She was cut off as he grabbed her in his arms and pulled her to him in a tight hug. She flung her arms around his waist and sobbed into his shoulder, her whole body shaking with the force of her tears. He held her fiercely and buried his face in her wild curls.

The other Legionnaires were standing behind them looking at each other confusedly. Saturn Girl had taken Lightning Lad back to HQ to fix his leg, despite his protests. Nemesis Kid was comforting a shaking Shrinking Violet, his arms wrapped protectively around her small form as she cried into his chest in relief. Karate Kid and Chameleon Boy were standing in the snow looking very worried, their eyes straining to see over Brainy's shoulder. After a few moments, she stood up and wiped the tears away.

"I'm sorry I put you all through this. But I'm going to end it right here, right now."

Her fingers curled around the stone at her neck, and her eyes hardened with steely resolve. She jerked her hand hard, and the chain snapped, sending little bits of gold and silver chain spraying into the snow. She turned toward the large lake in the middle of City Park, her eyes sweeping across it. She cocked her arm and hurled the stone as hard as she could into the water. It made a tiny splash and a faint twinkle before sinking to its watery grave, where no one would ever be bothered by it again. She turned back around and slung Brainy's arm over her shoulder, helping him stand on his broken ankle. She faced her fellow Legionnaires with head held high.

"Come on guys; let's go home."

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_

You know, considering how Firegirl is technically a D.C Universe Version of me...You'd really think I would get less joy out of making her life miserable. XD

Review pleez! The Infamous Chapter 6 coming soon!

~Firegirl~


	12. Part 6 Chapter 1

_Well, here it is. The most recent chapter I have written! I started this story like a year ago, and this is how far I've gotten! Don't worry, Chapter Seven is in progress! But it may be a long while before it gets uploaded... oh dear..._

_Read and Review, Blahdie Blah, I don't own the Legion, Blahdie Blah. You know the drill._

_Enjoy my super-Angsty chapter!!! XD_

_**Chapter Six: **__**Darkness Falls**_

**_Part One: Traitor?_**

Firegirl was sound asleep, her mind full of dreams. As peaceful as a mind tormented by guilt and shame could be. Her dreams were not pleasant, but not nightmares at least. She sighed in her sleep and turned over. The telepath smiled; this would be all too easy. The window opened, and a lithe form slunk through the opening, landing softly on the floor. Her purple eyes glittered with malice as she stood over the sleeping Legionnaire. A slender hand reached out and rested upon Firegirl's curls, a telepathic link connecting their minds.

"Esper, you got the implants?" A voice whispered beside her ear from her Comm.

"I'm working here, Tyr. Shut it or you'll wake her up!" She hissed back, concentrating on keeping her link connected. The voice fell silent, and she pulled out a small needle. Firegirl's bare arm rested on top of the blankets, rising and falling with her breath. Esper numbed the part of the girl's brain that allowed her to feel pain and poked the needle through the skin, injecting the tiny nano-bots that would bring about the change that would determine the future for the Legion of Superheroes.

Firegirl's brow furrowed, and she began to twitch in her sleep. Esper smiled and slipped back out the window, leaving her to her feverish dreams.

* * *

"Goodnight Firegirl. Pleasant dreams." She flew away laughing evilly as the Legionnaire screamed in terror as the night terrors returned with a vengeance, enhanced by the nano-bots altering her mind.

* * *

Brainiac Five opened his eyes, and immediately knew what had awoken him so suddenly; Firegirl was dreaming again. Her shout was fading now, but it must have been a horrible dream. He slid out of bed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to blink the sleep from his eyes. Suddenly there was a loud banging on the door, three fast knocks and three slow. He slid the door open, and Firegirl came in, brushing past him without so much as a 'good morning'.

"Firegirl? Is something wrong?" He asked, noticing a strange gleam in her eyes. She turned and put her hands on his shoulders, looking deeply into his eyes.

"Do you still love me?" She asked, and he blinked. "Of course I do! Why would you think otherwise?" He asked, his feelings hurt. "Is this about your nightmare?" She stepped forward and kissed him, as if to assure herself that their love was still strong. He felt a slight twinge of surprise at the fierceness of her kiss; she was usually very soft and gentle. But this was a fiery and passionate kiss, and he stepped slightly back from her. But she followed, and he felt the wall against his back. He was startled, but he knew he would feel guilty if he pulled away. She had her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, and he felt himself getting dizzy from lack of air. But he gave in and deepened the kiss, her even more passionate response surprising him again.

Suddenly the door banged open, and Firegirl was tackled and slammed into the wall by Superman, whose eyes were surprisingly angry. She and Superman had hit the wall so hard there was a slight dent in the metal, and her head slumped against her chest as she blacked out. "What are you doing?!" Brainy asked, confused and shocked as Superman dropped the unconscious girl to the floor.

"She was going to kill you, Brainy!" He said, pointing at a razor sharp dagger that had fallen to the floor, seconds ago held poised to plunge deep into his heart. Brainy picked it up with a feeling of vertigo. "But…" His hand brushed the blade, and a small drop of blood welled on his finger. He knelt beside her limp form, lifting her into his arms.

"Brainy, you can't deny the fact that she just tried to kill you!" Superman said as Brainy set her gently on his bed. "You're right; I can't. But I know Firegirl, and I know that someone must have done something to her to trigger this. She couldn't have… she would never…It's impossible…" He struggled for words, his head throbbing as he dropped into a chair and his head falling into his hands.

Superman rested his large hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this." He said. Brainy looked up, frowning. "How did you know that she was… what was happening?" He asked, replaying Superman bursting through the door in his mind. "Uh…" The Man of Steel blushed, rubbing his neck. "I heard a strange noise, so I kind of… looked in?"

Brainy rubbed his temples. "So you were spying on us with your X-Ray vision." Superman winced. "No, I was not spying!" Suddenly there was a slight moan, and both boys turned around. Firegirl shifted on the bed, her brow furrowed. Brainy winced at her little gasp of pain as she felt the pressure on her injuries from Superman's overzealous attack. Brainy moved over to her and lifted her into his arms. "We'll take her to the lab and scan her." He said, not looking down at her limp form as Superman followed him to his Laboratory.

* * *

"How is she, Brainy?" Superman asked, looking through the window at the girl lying on the table. "There are no signs of anything so far." He replied, his voice breaking. He coughed as if it would hide it.

"But you're not using all the systems." A voice said, and Violet appeared from the shadows. Brainy sighed. "I am not going to use the others on her." Violet came to stand beside him, her eyes sweeping sadly over Firegirl. "But none of these are coming up with any results. You know it will have to be done sooner or later, against your will or with it." Another voice said, and Cosmic Boy was standing behind Violet.

Brainy clenched his fists. "No. Those procedures are painful! I refuse to put her through that." Cosmic Boy looked down at him. "If you want to find out why your girlfriend tried to kill you, you don't really have a choice. Besides, we need to know if she's a threat to the Legion or not." Brainy rested his head against the cool fiberglass, his eyes brushing over her still features as she lay on the scanning table.

"This isn't your call, Brainy. We have got to find out what we're dealing with here." Cosmic Boy said sternly. Brainy took one last glance at her and turned away nodding at Violet. "Complete procedures 1331 and 5003. But that is all." She nodded with a sad face and began hitting buttons, bringing the scanning table into a new position.

Two large circular machines came down on either side of Firegirl's head, about six inches away from her ears. She flipped a switch, and the machine charged up, lighting her features with a gentle golden glow. Then a charge of energy swept through the machine, and her back arched as she cried out in pain. Brainy looked away, her cries echoing through the chamber.

"There's nothing the personality implanter is picking up, Brainy." Violet said as she made sure not to look in the window, while Cosmic Boy watched Firegirl's convulsions emotionlessly.

"Then stop, please stop." Brainy whispered hoarsely, trying to hold onto his lunch. The machine powered back down, and Violet brought the other search into position. "Go ahead." Cosmic Boy said as she set it up. This was a blood test, searching for anything in the bloodstream that didn't belong there. But it involved sending a charge of electricity along the subject's body, through the blood so it could be tested. It was used only as a last resort in most cases.

The machine sent the charge into her and she screamed. Brainy clamped his hands over his ears to block out the horrible sound, and felt his heart crying out with her. When it stopped, Violet coughed back tears and looked up at the screen.

"There seems to be a slight blip here, but it looks like it's just bruises where she hit something. Whatever she hit, it was pretty hard." She glanced at Superman through the corner of her eye, and he looked down ashamedly. "We'll have to quarantine her so she doesn't hurt herself or anyone else." Cosmic Boy said, his eyes looking anywhere but Brainy's face. "I'll take her; if she tries to escape I can hold on to her." Superman said softly.

Cosmic Boy nodded and walked out, leaving Brainy and Violet alone. He took a steadying breath, then turned to the trash incinerator and retched, his body unable to handle the stress of what he had endured. When he was finished, he sat back down in his chair, his arms shaking as he held his head in his hands.

"Are you ok Brainy?" Violet asked softly, her hand on his shoulder. He shook his head, trying to hold himself together. "I know that was probably really hard for you. It hurt me too, and I know you love her even more than I do; more than any of us do." She coughed again, blinking her eyes clear.

"What did it do? It proved nothing. I hurt her for nothing." He said softly, not trusting himself to speak any more for fear of breaking down. He took another steadying breath. "We'll ask Saturn Girl. She can do a mind sweep, look for any signs of the power controlling her."

Violet looked away, and he felt a bruise of distrust blossom inside his chest. "What if she's not being controlled, Brainy?" She said softly, and it sounded like the idea hurt her too. But it was too much, and he leaped out of his chair. "Violet, are you blind?! She pulled a knife on me! She was ready to stab me through the heart with it! Does that sound like the Firegirl you know?"

Violet sighed. "Brainy, I know you think I'm going against you, but just hear me out, ok?"

He dropped back into his chair and hid his face in his hands. "I know you think she's being controlled. But just think about it; none of our machines detected anything. She might have done this by her own will." She said, then winced and waited for the explosion. But he didn't jump out of his chair again. He spoke very quietly, so softly she had to lean closer to hear him.

"Violet, I love her more than I have ever loved anything. I once put myself between her and the line of a point-blank laser cannon. I would give up everything I have and then some for her. I would die for her. And you know her, Violet. You know how she feels. You know she feels the same way. How can you think she would suddenly change her mind and try to hurt me?"

Violet looked down, feeling ashamed she had thought that way. "You're right, Brainy. I've seen her when she was so angry because she thought someone had hurt you that she would have killed the guy who did it. She almost did, actually. She melted a hole straight down to the bottom of Superman's Arctic Fortress of Solitude because she thought she had lost you. I know she would die for you too."

He finally lost control and let his tears fall silently onto his lap, holding down the sobs that were threatening to overtake him. "And I'll help you prove her innocent. We'll fix this somehow." Violet said, pulling him into her arms. They held each other for a few moments, but Brainy couldn't help thinking how much warmer Firegirl's embraces were.

* * *

Firegirl opened her eyes and found herself in a small room with white walls. She knew what it was; it was the solitary confinement area. She stood up and found that there was a slender chain of Tyrilium holding her to the wall by a collar around her neck.

She scowled and aimed a fire blast at it. Nothing happened, and she realized the chamber must neutralize powers. She groaned in frustration and yanked on the chain as hard as she could. But the chain remained where it was, unmoved by her violence. She sat down with her back against the wall and drew her knees up against her chest and rested her forehead against them.

"Firegirl?" a voice said, and she looked up. Brainy was looking through a window in the wall at her, his hand pressed against the glass. She moved closer, as far as the chain would let her.

"Brainy?" She asked, looking terrified. "It's me, Firegirl. Are you alright?" he asked, and she shook her head. "They chained me up like an animal. I'm not an animal; I need help." She whispered, and tears began to flow down her face. "Don't cry, Brogyn. I can't bear it when you cry." He said, his expression pained.

"Then let me out! I don't know what's wrong with me, but I know you can fix me. Please. I don't want to be a monster." She sobbed, falling to her knees. When she looked up he had disappeared, and a door opened in the wall opposite the window. Brainy rushed in and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her curls. "I'm sorry they put you in here." He said, and didn't see the smirk on her face.

She changed her expression back to frightened and looked up at him. "Take the chain off and let me out, please." She said timidly, and he turned the key in the lock. The chain popped off her neck, and he helped her stand. He led her out into the hall, looking around for any Legionnaires who might catch them. She was smiling, her eyes dark with a plan going well. They got to a side room full of windows, and he turned to her. "I will figure out what is wrong with you, I promise. I will fix this somehow."

She smiled and pecked him on the lips. "Unfortunately, there's a problem with that plan, sweetheart; you can't fix something that isn't broken." She said, and hit him in the side of the head with a roundhouse kick hard enough to knock out a professional wrestler. He dropped like a stone and she broke through the window, setting off the alarm system. But she didn't particularly care; where she was going, the Legion could not follow. She shot over the roofs of New Metropolis, and suddenly four figures descended on her.

Firegirl lashed out blindly and slammed her fist into the temple of one of the women, making her drop twenty feet before Hunter caught her. "Sprock it, she just took out Wave! Esper, hit the off switch on this thing!" Tyr snapped, and Esper smiled.

"Nighty Night." She said, and Firegirl plunged into unconsciousness.

* * *

Violet shot into the room the alarm had gone off in and found Brainy unconscious on the floor. "Brainy!" She cried, checking his vitals. He had a nasty bruise was already forming on his head, but he was alive and not seriously hurt. Timber Wolf leaped into the room, half into Beast mode.

"Can you get a scent on who broke in?" Violet asked, and Timber Wolf nodded. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. The scene played out before him, and when he opened his eyes they were dark with foreboding.

"No one broke in, Vi. Someone broke out."

She gasped. "Firegirl? But how'd she get out here?" They both looked down at the boy lying on the floor. "What have you done Brainy?" Violet said softly, staring at the broken fiberglass lying all over the floor and the boy still lying unconscious from trying to help the one he loved.

"What have you done?"

* * *

"This is of utmost importance to Legion security. We have to apprehend Firegirl before she causes damage, gives any vital information to our enemies or hurts innocents." Cosmic Boy said over the holo center, various legionnaires in the room, whether holographically or face-to-face. Brainy stood in the back, obviously horrified and ashamed about what had happened before.

Violet stepped forward, bringing up the all important point. "Cosmic Boy, can we handle it?" She asked softly, but suddenly everyone stopped talking and looked at her. She suddenly shrank a little, then pulled back her self confidence and grew back to normal size.

"This is the first time we've ever had a Legionnaire go rouge, and… she's our friend. She's fought with us, laughed with us, cried with us, seen us at our best and our worst…can we fight her?" Everyone absorbed this little speech, thinking. Superman finally responded. "Violet is right. Firegirl knows our moves, our strategies, the way each one of us fights…even if we weren't close to her, she'd still know everything we could do. We need outside help." Everyone was quiet for a moment, then Element Lad spoke up.

"I think I have an idea."

* * *

Lexa Ranel was sitting in her room reading a book (Pendragon Book 10 to be exact) when suddenly a bubble of light appeared. She jumped up, not sure who to expect.

"Storm!"

Element Lad stepped out of the bubble, and she felt flooded with relief. "Storm, we need your help." He said, his green eyes serious as always. "What's happened? Is it the Anti-Legion again?" She asked. He looked pained. "Partly. But more than the Anti-Legion… it's Firegirl. She's gone Rogue."

Storm felt her balance fail her, and she slid down the wall into a sitting position. "Rogue? How?" She whispered. Element Lad hesitantly offered her his hand. She took it and he helped her stand up. "Were there any nano-bots or personality implants?" She asked, hoping desperately for an explanation.

"None that we could find. Either they are hidden really, really well or…" He trailed off, leaving it up to her imagination.

"We have to help her, get her back." She said, her face set in the familiar do or die expression. "Actually, that's not why we came to get you." He said softly.

"Why then?" She asked, for once unable to assume the battle plans. "You are Firegirl's best friend, and we were hoping you would know what she might do, how she might fight. If it comes to a battle, we can't count on Brainy to tell us how to deal with the threat."

She felt a twinge of surprise and a faint trace of anger. "So you just assume that I'm level-headed enough to tell you how to fight—maybe even kill—my best friend?"

"That's kind of the idea." He said, eyes dark. "I'm sorry Storm…if there was some other way to do this, we would. But every time we've fought with you, no matter what, you've always been able to keep your emotions under control enough to neutralize a threat, something that not a lot of legionnaires can do. With you there, we might stand a chance of being able to capture Firegirl. Without you there…" He trailed off, obviously hating having to pull her into this. She shook her head. "I guess I have no choice. How is Brainy taking all of this? How is everyone taking it?" She asked, and he shrugged.

"Brainy… I really don't know. He doesn't say much anymore. But I think he's hoping that if he ignores this… maybe it will go away. As for the rest of us… Some of us are in denial like Brainy and some of us are freaking out because we think we'll have to fight her." She gently put her arms around him to comfort him. "Come on. We need to get back." He said after returning her embrace for a few seconds.

She nodded, and they stepped back into the future.

* * *

When Storm walked into the legion tower, she could tell things were bad. No one was smiling—not even Bouncing Boy—and everyone was running around, trying to get things fortified and ready. Legionnaires were coming back to New Metropolis to gather their forces and get ready for whatever Firegirl had planned for them. Battle plans were being made, weapons were being upgraded…by Violet and Nemesis Kid.

Brainy was nowhere to be seen.

Storm walked over to the two teens as went through the weapons and tried to fix the older broken ones. "Hey Violet. Hey Nemesis Kid." She said softly. They both looked up and Violet quickly hugged her.

"I'm sorry Storm." Storm smiled weakly. "Hey, we'll get through it. I'm willing to bet my bookcase that it's some sort of personality implant or nanites or something…maybe they got Londo's help and he's come up with something new that doesn't appear on Brainy's scanners or something…right?"

Violet smiled weakly. "I hope so."

"Storm!" The teen turned around to see Cosmic Boy standing there along with several other senior Legionnaires. "We need to start debriefing. We don't know how much time we have." His eyes softened a little as she walked over, and even Cosmic Boy had enough sympathy to set a hand on her shoulder as they walked over to one of the holo rooms.

"Alright, what to you need to know?" Storm said as she sat down in front of the holographic projector. "Firegirl mentioned at one point that your abilities over air had also given you a type of magnified view and super hearing of sorts, which is why you got so good at fighting so fast during the fight with the Anti-Legion. We're hoping that you'll be able to analyze some of these training tapes for any weaknesses on Firegirl's part."

He hit play, and a fight came up on the screen. They all watched in silence as Firegirl took down dozens of robots, seemingly without error. "Pause." Storm said quietly, and the projector paused. She stood and walked up to the holo, which was showing Firegirl taking down all of robots that were coming from all directions.

"Here. Her left side is a little weaker than her right—she's right-side dominant. And she doesn't watch her back, only spins fire in a vortex to keep people off her back. Assuming she starts fighting dirty against us, she'd probably keep the vortex going, so if we can get a force behind her that is shielded from the fire and she thinks they got burned, most likely we can knock her out from behind long enough to restrain her and try to help her." All of this analysis was said quietly in a deadpan voice.

Cosmic Boy nodded. "Thank you Storm. You can go now." Storm stood to leave, and Saturn Girl followed her out. The older girl set a hand on Storm's shoulder. "I know that it was hard, but at least now we stand a chance of saving Firegirl. I just wanted you to know that."

Storm turned and nodded gratefully. "Thanks Saturn Girl. I'd better go check on Brainy; he's probably taking this worse then anyone."

* * *

Brainy didn't look up from the console as the door slid open. It was probably just someone else who was going to bother him about trying to remember what had happened when Firegirl had escaped. Suddenly a set of fingers snapped right in front of his face.

"Yo, Einstein. Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude not to look when someone walks in the room?" Brainy looked up, startled, to see Storm; Firegirl's best friend from the past.

"Storm? What are you doing here?" He asked, his eyes weary. "Let's see; I'm trying to help a bunch of heroes defeat my best friend who, incidentally, went rouge." Storm's voice was bitter, and it hit Brainy how much she had to be hurting. Firegirl was her best friend, and they had known each other ever since Firegirl had been in 7th grade.

"I'm sorry Storm. I just…it's…I can't…" He stumbled, searching for words.

"Yeah, I know, you're guilt tripping yourself that you didn't do more." The anger in Storm's voice was strong, and Brainy felt anger rise in him as well. "What would you know? You weren't even here! She tricked all of us, not just me!" He snapped.

"Yeah, but at least now that I am here, I'm doing more then sitting around and moping because one of the top ten people in my life has supposedly gone bad!" Wind whipped around the lab and Storm's hair crackled as lightning ran through it. "Brainy, I know this is tough for you, but right now we need every hand we've got, and if you're not going to help save Firegirl, then how can you say that you care about her?!"

Brainy looked so shocked, she might as well have slapped him in the face. She took a deep breath and the wind stopped.

"I'm sorry, that was way out of line. But Brainy…we need help. We need ideas, we need non-lethal weapons that are immune to whatever Firegirl can throw at us, we need strategies…please." She was whispering by now.

Brainy slowly stood up. "I'll get right on it. For Firegirl." Storm smiled faintly. "Yeah; for Firegirl."

Then she caught a glimpse of the screen he was looking at. "What is this Brainy?" The green boy rubbed the back of his neck. "I was trying to find some hint of anything that could cause Firegirl to act like this from the scans we had done earlier. But so far, nothing." Storm's sensitive eyes ran over the display, then she tapped a key and entered something.

"What are you doing?" He asked. "Searching for high concentrations of metal in Firegirl's body. Let's see…" Suddenly the scan changed, and an area highlighted in green appeared in Firegirl's outer skull.

"What on earth…" Brainy murmured.

"That's adamantium, but there shouldn't be any in her body." Storm smiled. "Well, well, well, looks like we found our cause. I'm willing to bet anything that those are some sort of nano-bots that are controlling her." Brainy stared at her, shaking his head. "I have a 12th level intelligence, why didn't I think of this?" He said, frowning and looking like he wanted to smack himself repeatedly with something very hard. "You're too close to the situation Brainy; it's not your fault and it's why I'm here." Storm said quietly before leaving Brainy to his diagnosis.

* * *

Element Lad was walking down one of the back halls when he found Storm sitting on the ground, knees pulled in close, staring at the wall. "Storm?" The girl didn't look at him. "Are you ok?"

Storm sighed. "Let's see, my best friend went rouge, her 12th level intelligence boyfriend is practically going mental, I'm supposed to help the legion hurt my friend…how do you think I'm feeling?!" Storm hit her head backwards on the wall with a clang of frustration. Element Lad sat down next to her. "Sorry. I've been needing to get that off my chest. Everyone knows that during a battle I can lock my emotions away…but that's because I have to, and if I don't I could end up hurting someone without meaning to because my powers are connected to my emotions. I don't know what will happen when we see Firegirl again, I don't want to fight her, but…I think I might have to."

Tears started leaking from her eyes as she tried to calm down. Element Lad gently hugged her as she started to cry. "I'm sorry, you must think I'm some sort of crybaby or something." He smiled softly and held her closer. "No. I think you are reacting normally to something none of us would have ever guessed would happen." She pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"Firegirl always hates to let people see her cry, but she cries a lot because she can't help it. It drives her crazy." She said, laughing as more tears found their way down her face. Suddenly his ring started beeping, and he stood up. "Sorry, Storm. I'm needed in the Briefing room." He started to walk away as she stood up too, then turned around and hugged her again.

"And if you need someone to talk to… I think Cham could use some heart-to-heart." He said before flying off down the hall.

* * *

Cham was sitting in a room bouncing a ball against the wall, trying to think of everything except Her. The door opening broke his concentration and he looked up, the ball bouncing back and hitting him in the face. "Oh, hey Storm." He said as she sat down on the couch next to him. "I was wondering how you were doing." She said.

He looked startled. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" He asked, but his voice cracked a little bit. Storm gently rested her hand on his arm. "Do you want to talk about it?" He shrugged, but she saw his lip trembling as he tried really hard not to cry. "If you do, I'm here." She said softly and stood to leave.

"Actually… I think I do need to talk." She sat back down. "What's on your mind?"

He sighed. "I used to think I knew Firegirl pretty well, but I'm finding out lately that I don't. Some of the things you and Vi and the rest of her friends have been pulling out is totally new information to me. It's like everything we love about her is becoming painful now, so we share it with other people."

He smiled as he remembered the quirks that he had heard over the past day.

"She's smarter than she usually acts, she loves to read, she can name off almost every superhero, like, _ever_. She hates when people make fun of her, she loves when people talk about her. She's a hopeless romantic and hates to see people hurt. She wishes she could solve all the problems, even when she knows she can't… I don't know. It's like there's an entire Firegirl I never knew. And now it might be too late." His voice choked again, and a tear slid down his cheek. "The girl we love could be gone forever and we didn't even get to say goodbye."

Storm felt a twinge of surprise; these were stronger feelings than she had thought he harbored. "Cham, are you sure it's still the collective Legion we're talking about?" She asked, and his green eyes looked surprised.

"What do you mean?" He asked, but his voice faltered.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Storm asked, and he hung his head. "I'm pathetic, I know. Crushing on a girl who's in love with someone else."

She shook her head. "Not at all. You should have seen some of her crushes when we were younger." She said with a roll of her eyes. "Is that why you and Brainy don't really get along anymore?" She asked, and he grunted.

"It's not his fault. We just don't really click anymore, that's all. It's like the farther away from me she gets, the closer she is to him, and the more I think about her. It's stupid, and everyone probably thinks I'm an idiot." He said. She shook her head. "I can bet that no one even knows." He sighed and chucked the ball at the wall again. "But now it feels like I'm all alone without her here. Even if I was only second best in her life, I still want to be around her, be… important to her."

Storm gently hugged him quickly to give him some comfort. "It's ok, Cham." He suddenly looked panicked. "Don't tell anyone, ok?" He said, and she smiled. "It's our secret. I won't tell anyone; if and when she finds out is up to you." She stood and left the room, leaving Cham feeling a little better after getting his feelings off his chest.

* * *

_Yay! Cham/Phoenix stupidity!!! Sorry, I am super stupid and felt the need to do this. I will hate myself forever for what I've done!!_

_Please review so I can get my super-awesome Review Rush!!!_

_~Firegirl~_


	13. Part 6 Chapter 2

_Part two of the super angst!! Hope you like it, this was so much fun to write, which is weird._

_Another list of things I don't own!!!  
I don't own Fruits Basket, I don't own a Myspace, I don't own any Abercrombie anything, I don't own Full Moon wo Sagashite or Gentlemen's Alliance Cross, I don't own a Facebook, I don't own the Fruits Basket or Fullmetal Alchemist Animes, I don't own Hollister or Aeropostale anything, I don't own the Legion of Superheroes, I no longer own my personal space, (as my brother sits here with his chin on my head invading my bubble) and I don't own anything that will ever really amount to a ton....but I do own Firegirl...._

_R&R&E PLEEZ!!!!_

* * *

**_Chapter Six: Darkness Falls_**

**_Part Two: From the Ashes_**

Firegirl opened her eyes and was blasted by light, making her wince and close them again.

"Good morning, sleepy head." A voice said, and she cracked her eyes open. A handsome boy was standing there, smiling crookedly. "We've been waiting a few hours for you to wake up." He said, offering her a hand to get up off the cold, hard table she had been sleeping on. She slapped his hand away and stood up by herself.

"Where am I?" She asked, her eyes sweeping the room. "You're in the AL HQ." He said. "Anti-Legion Head Quarters." She muttered, interpreting the abbreviation.

"Joshua! You were instructed to bring her to the main room the moment she woke up!" A harsh voice snapped, and a familiar face entered the room. "Dry Ice." Firegirl said, but the animosity she usually said the name with was absent. "I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be calling you my ally." Dry Ice didn't respond, merely grabbed Joshua by the front of the shirt.

"You have been a slipup ever since we hired you. You may want to consider enhancing your performance or we will send you out the trash hatch in pieces." She snarled and shoved him into the wall, motioning for Firegirl to follow. She obeyed, sending a disapproving glance at the boy who was scrambling up off the floor. A shadow detached itself from the wall and walked beside them; Banshee. "You are in Anti-Legion headquarters, a place no superhero has ever seen before." Dry Ice said in her usual icy tone.

Banshee giggled in an extremely annoying and high pitched way. "Then again, you're no hero."

Firegirl sniffed. "I was… foolish. I have seen the error of my ways." She said. Suddenly her eyes sparkled darkly. "And as I am no longer a hero, I will go by a new name." The two Antis turned to face her, Banshee looking vaguely interested, Dry Ice obviously not caring. "Do enlighten us." She said cuttingly, but Firegirl ignored her sarcasm.

"I am Darkfire."

* * *

"The Legion is strongest in their Headquarters, but they will most likely try to take the battle somewhere where there are no civilians. We should attack while they are unprepared and at home." Darkfire said, standing in front of a battle map.

"The Supermen will be trouble; but Kryptonite can easily remedy the original. Kel-El is not so easily subdued, but he is not invincible. And one Legionnaire is not to be touched, understood?" She said, pulling out a piece of Kryptonite she had gotten from a recent raid on a Kryptonian Shuttle.

"Why? Do you want to keep one as a pet?" Esper asked, and Banshee cackled.

"He is valuable, and I believe he can be persuaded to assist us." She responded sharply, and the Antis shrugged or rolled their eyes. "So when so we march, General?" Muncher asked. She smiled darkly.

"Immediately of course."

* * *

As the Anti-Legion's forces prepared to attack a few days later, Shifter met Darkfire in her room. "Your new uniform suits you." He said, his orange eyes softening slightly.

"Today we defeat the Legion." She said, her voice wavering slightly. Shifter came closer, his expression curious. "You aren't having second thoughts, are you?" She turned on him, her eyes sparkling dangerously. "Of course not. I'm just…" She stopped, her eyes taking on a faraway look. "Nothing." She muttered, and swept past him.

Deep in the locked away part of Darkfire that was still Firegirl, a song was playing over and over again.

'_And that's enough… There's Us…'_

* * *

Darkfire floated above the army of Anti-Legionnaires, and Brainy felt his heart cry out in anguish. She was clad in a long black dress that had a long slit up the side, and sleeves that draped down her arms almost gracefully. She wore a crown upon her head, a thin golden circlet with a phoenix carved into it. Two red streaks ran down her face as if she was crying blood, and there was a dark crimson streak in her blonde hair. Her feet were bare, and her expression was painfully mocking.

Suddenly her eyes met his, and he felt the ground sway beneath his feet. Their usual bright luster was gone, replaced by darkness that threatened to swallow him whole. He felt sick as she blew him a kiss.

"Legion, Attack!" Cosmic Boy cried.

"Anti-Legion, Destroy!" Drax shouted, and the Legion and Anti-Legion crashed against each other like waves upon rocks. Brainy locked in battle with Tyr, the red-skinned Supervillain grinning as he slammed Brainy in the side with his robotic arm, knocking the wind out of the Legionnaire.

"Your girlfriend's pretty Hot. I don't know what she saw in a goody-goody like you." He said cheekily. Anger overwhelmed Brainy, and he shouted and blasted Tyr with his laser cannon, knocking him unconscious.

There was a tap on his shoulder, and he whirled around. "Brainy! I thought that was you." She was standing behind him, smiling sweetly. "Stay away from me Firegirl!" He hissed, his hand shaking as he leveled his cannon at her. Her expression darkened. "It's Darkfire now. And even though that was rude, I have an offer for you." He didn't respond, merely focused on holding his hand steady.

"Join me, Querl. I'm not going to hang around with these losers much longer, and you could be so much more than the Legion lets you be." She stepped closer, her hand touching his. "There's Us, Brainy. If you stay here and fight me, there won't be an Us anymore. I'll be alone and you'll be dead unless you stop now. Do you want that?" His hand was shaking violently now.

"I will be Queen when the Legion falls. And I could make you my King. We will rule together, keeping peace and order. You tried to do that once too, remember? Help me bring order to this flawed chaotic human world." Her hand was cool against his face as she stroked his cheek, and her eyes were pleading. "I don't want to lose you just because of a silly fight." She said, taking the cannon from his hand and dropping it to the ground. He was unable to move, caught in her terrible siren spell.

"You know how to make the Flight Rings go offline, Brainy. Do it now, and end this war. We will take the Legion prisoner and no one needs to get hurt." She whispered in his ear. He closed his eyes and held up his hand.

"Brainy no!" Storm suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but it was too late. Darkfire grabbed his ring and flipped a control switch, sending a charge of stunning electricity to every Legion Ring. The Legionnaires dropped like flies, and Brainy looked shocked.

"No, that wasn't what was supposed to happen…"

Storm had thrown her flight ring off just in time, and she was the only one besides the Supermen still standing. "Superman, Kel, take care of the Anti-Legion. Darkfire is mine!" Storm stood up and faced Darkfire. "Firegirl… Darkfire… this ends now!" She said, standing in front of her with her fists clenched, lightning racing up and down her arms and through her hair, storm clouds twisting in the sky behind her.

Darkfire laughed and shoved Brainy out of the way. He stumbled confusedly, and suddenly his head snapped back as a metal bar collided with his jaw.

He dropped like a stone and Darkfire hissed. "Metallic, I warned you to be gentle with him!" She snapped and slashed at the hand controlling the metal with a Fire Whip, burning a hole in the glove and leaving a nasty burn on his arm. It quickly withdrew as Metallic shrieked in pain.

"Henchmen these days, you just can't get any good ones. Am I right?" She said, motioning at Storm. The Legionnaire stood stone still, her eyes cold. "I'll extend the same offer I gave Brainy before he was so rudely taken out of the conversation. Join me and you won't be shot down out of the sky like a pheasant during Open Season." Darkfire reached out her hand, and Storm shot her in the face with a blast of wind. Darkfire flew back several feet, skidding to a halt.

"Alright then. You had your chance." She hissed and snapped out her whips. "Now it's play time." Darkfire charged at Storm, and the two clashed with a crack as fire met thunder as two forces of nature clashed.

* * *

The battle between Darkfire and Storm was unlike anything either of them had ever experienced. For once in their life, they were evenly matched. Storm tried to reason, as she always did.

"Darkfire, please think about what the heck you're doing! I know you're a good person, and this isn't you! What about Brainy? What about your family?"

Darkfire laughed. "What does any of that matter now? I'm more powerful than you could ever dream of becoming, Storm. You are too timid to ever reach your full potential." Storm shook her head, fury rising up in her; but also sadness. "What about having fun? What about writing stories for 12 solid hours, and role playing until 4 in the morning? We never did beat that record, remember? What about having friends, and laughing at boys' stupidity? What about Young Women's and Animated Crushes and the Jonas Brothers? What about Avatar and Runaways and Fullmetal Alchemist and Drawing the day away with characters from our stories? What about just…living?" Storm's voice had gone quiet near the end; her voice was giving away how much she wanted her friend back.

Darkfire just laughed again, a cold and cruel laugh so unlike the bright laughter of Firegirl. "Oh Storm—or should I call you Lexa—you always were the reasonable one, the logical one, the one who was good at everything. You were better at swimming, you were better in school, you were a better thinker and quite a bit smarter than me. You were the perfect only child, and everyone thought you were better than me!"

Suddenly a vortex of fire exploded from Darkfire's hands straight at Storm. "Now it's my turn to finally beat you at something! It's your turn to lose, Storm!" Darkfire shouted above the roar of the flames. Storm quickly threw up a shield of air and let the attack go around her. As soon as the onslaught stopped, she lowered the shield, only to have Darkfire rush at her with fire whips in each hand, snapping them both around her. One whip sliced her side, and another her arm. Pain exploded through both of those injuries as Storm tried to handle it.

"I can handle the heat!" She shouted as she got ready for her attack. Suddenly she threw both hands out and gusts of snow and sleet slammed Darkfire, causing her to tumble back, covered with the stuff. She quickly heated herself, melting off the icy water. "You think that will stop me? I like the cold. It energizes me." Darkfire said, smiling now, before slamming forward into Storm, hands flaming. Storm's hair caught on fire from the flaming hands, and the awful scent of burning hair filled the air.

"Aaugh!" Storm yelled, slamming bolts of lightning-charged air straight at Darkfire, throwing her off before quickly quenching her own hair. Suddenly Storm raised her hands, eyebrows drawn together, and the air filled with thick, heavy mist that made it impossibly for Darkfire to see. The rouge legionnaire's hair burst into flame, lighting a little area around her.

"Storm! Come out where I can see you instead of hiding behind your clouds, you coward!" She shouted through the mist. "If that's what you want." Said a quiet voice, then suddenly Darkfire was slammed with crushing force from behind. Strong hands of wind gripped her and held her still, and Storm floated down in front of her, hands out, concentrating on the wind. Lightning flickered above her, obviously getting ready to knock Darkfire unconscious.

"Lexa! Lexa, wait!" Darkfire yelled, her eyes suddenly wide and panic-filled. "Please, don't do it. I need help! I'm trying to fight these nano-bots the best I can, but they're controlling my body, and I need your help! If you hit me with lightning, it'll blow the nano-bots out and I'll die! Please Lexa!" Storm opened her eyes to see not the hard, cold face of Darkfire, but the scared, wide eyes of Firegirl. Storm hesitated for a moment, her concentration faltering. In that moment, Darkfire was back, and a stream of fire slammed out of her hands, engulfing Storm and pushing her back into the mist.

Darkfire grinned and brushed her hands off. "And that takes care of that." She said, satisfied with herself. She turned to fly down and see how her Anti's were doing, when something hard slammed her in the back. Storm, severe burns covering her arms and legs, was attacking her, punching her and taking her down.

"You might look like my friend, but you're just an empty shell now Darkfire! It's time to let Brogyn back in." Suddenly she flew back and made a pulling motion with her hands. Suddenly Darkfire was powerless, just floating there, trying to breathe. "What are you…doing…to me?!" She gasped, looking panicked.

"I'm taking away the oxygen from around you—the stuff that makes fire burn. There's enough for you to keep breathing, which should be enough for me to do this." Storm flew around behind her, carefully setting her hands on the crown on Darkfire's skull, remembering where she had seen the nano-bots before. She carefully formed a pocket of air around the tiny robots in her friend's head.

"Storm, if those bots explode I die, you idiot! What are you hoping to accomplish by this?!" Darkfire hissed, angry instead of afraid.

"No, Darkfire. You'll die, but we'll get the real you back." _I'm sorry_ Storm thought as she sent a tiny electrical shock through the nano-bots, enough to make them explode.

"AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!" Darkfire screamed as gashes appeared in her head as the nano-bots overloaded and broke through the skin, but not one explosion touched her brain thanks to the pockets of air Storm had former around it. Storm gritted her teeth as she kept the tiny air shield up to protect her friend, not used to such delicate work.

Finally, it was over, and the Pyro-kinetic was unconscious.

Darkfire and Storm both started to fall as her wind powers began to dissipate, causing the mist around them to fade as they hurtled towards the ground. Storm opened her eyes and saw the ground, and threw up a pocket of air, catching her and Firegirl and setting them on the ground. She landed, feeling power exhaustion sweep over her.

* * *

The other Legionnaires awoke to a stunning sight; Superman and Kel-El standing behind a fleeing Anti-Legion, and Storm and Darkfire nowhere to be seen. Brainy shook his head clear and clambered shakily to his feet, nursing the new bruise on his jaw. A group of Legionnaires had gathered around two figures lying on the ground. One of them was wearing black and had blonde hair.

"Firegirl!" He rushed over, shoving Legionnaires out of his way. Storm was on shaking hands and knees, gasping for breath as she tried to regain her strength after the battle. Element Lad was kneeling at her side, his eyes worried. "You're going to need medical treatment for those burns, Storm." He said, but she waved him off.

Brainy fell to his knees beside the fallen Firegirl, not sure and not caring if she was on their side or not. Her dress was in tatters, and she was lying limply in the mud. Her skin was pale, and as he lifted her into his arms she was cold. Her head was drenched with blood, and it trickled down her cheeks in streams.

"No. Please no." He whispered. Suddenly her eyes fluttered, and slowly opened.

"Brainy? What happened? Where am I?" She whispered, looking confused. "You're on a battlefield, Firegirl. Do you remember what happened?" He asked, and she shook her head. "I remember something… a few minutes ago, something exploded. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was in my head…" She reached up and brushed her hand across her forehead. When she pulled her hand away, her fingers were stained with blood.

"Those were the nano-bots that Esper put into you. Do you feel better now?" He asked. She sighed and nodded, her hand grasping his weakly. She frowned, brushing her hand against his forehead. "Are you sick? I think you have a fever." She said faintly, and he burst into laughter and tears simultaneously.

"What's so funny?" She asked, unhappy about being left out of a joke. "You just almost died and you're asking me if I have a fever because your skin is so cold that mine feels hot!" He said, crying and laughing at the same time. "Come on, we need to get you fixed up." he said, trying to lift her. But he stumbled and Kel-El shot over, stabilizing him and taking her in his arms.

"I've got her, Brainy." He said, and Brainy smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Kel-El." He said weakly.

"Why are you being so nice?" Firegirl asked with a weak attempt at snippiness, and he looked down. "Well, you kind of seem like you could use the extra kindness. That's why." She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder as he carried her.

"Thanks, Kel." She said softly and let her eyes close. He carried her into the healing chamber and her healing began.

* * *

A week later, Brogyn sat on her bed in Legion HQ, reflecting. She still couldn't believe what she had done, that she had betrayed everyone so completely. She had barely come out of her room since because of how horrible she felt. A knock came at the door.

"Go away." Brogyn said, not wanting to talk to anyone. The door slid open anyway. "And here I was thinking you might have wanted to see me." Brogyn turned at the voice. Lexa stood there, dressed in regular clothes, and a few bandages wrapped around her arms were visible. Brogyn jumped up and hugged her friend. "I'm so sorry Lexa, I totally spaced! I forgot you were coming back today!" Lexa laughed at her friend's complete transition back to normal.

"It's all good; I only got back a couple minutes ago." Brogyn sat down on the bed again, feeling elated that her friend was better. She also noticed that Lexa had gotten a haircut—probably to get rid of the burned hair.

"I woke up from the power exhaustion a couple days ago, and I got to see them attach my skin grafts where the burns were. It was kind of interesting." Brogyn stared at her friend and shook her head. "Only you would think getting patches of your skin moved around is cool. I would have puked." Lexa smiled again and shrugged, then looked serious.

"Looks like you're doing better too." She said, her eyes running over her friend. "Yeah." She shrugged; she had almost fully healed up thanks to the healing chamber. Lexa looked at her friend again. "Brogyn…I'm sorry."

Brogyn stared at her for a moment, confused. "What are _you_ sorry for? I'm the one who went rouge and almost killed everyone!" She said, her voice rising an octave or so. "Yeah, but I hurt you—badly—and I just keep thinking there could have been some other way I could have helped you."

Brogyn stood up and hugged her friend. "Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Lexa. If you do I'm going to strangle you, throw you off a cliff, clone you, kill your clones, bury you and dance on your grave." She said, and Lexa laughed at the familiar expression.

"You are definitely back to normal!" She said with a smile, and they hugged again. "Ouch. Burns." Lexa said with a wince. "Ow, lacerations." Brogyn said, flinching as well.

Then they looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Well, you two are feeling better I see." Lightning Lad said with a grin as he leaned in the open doorway. "Hey Lightning Lad." Lexa said, and Brogyn looked down.

"What's wrong, Fireball?" He asked, and she looked up with a surprised expression. "You mean you aren't mad at me?" She asked. He smiled and held out open arms to her. She rushed into his embrace, warmth filling her up with happiness. But there was still a space missing in the happiness, and she realized what it was. "Hey, Sparky, have you seen Brainy today?" She asked. Lightning Lad smiled and released her. "He's in the Lab. Go get 'em Kiddo."

She hugged him again and rushed out into the hallway, nearly bowling into Cham as he came around the corner. Storm and Lightning Lad watched the friends' joyful reunion with matching smiles. "She really looks up to you." Storm said, looking at Lightning Lad. He smiled in a brotherly way, his eyes following his adopted little sister down the hall. "She's as much my little sister as Ayla is; she needed a Big Brother and I was there. It just kind of… happened. I don't even know when I started calling her Fireball or she started calling me Sparky." Lexa nodded.

"She never had any older siblings to take care of her; she was always content to be alone. I think that's what makes her bond with you so special." She said thoughtfully. Lightning Lad's ring suddenly beeped, and he saluted Storm. "Off to go on another pointless patrol." He said, and flew away.

* * *

Brainy was tampering listlessly with his toolset when the door slid open. He looked up, and a familiar shape was standing in the doorway. "Brogyn!" He jumped up. "Hi, Querl. I hoped I'd find you here." She said softly. He felt his spirits drop; why did she sound so sad?

"I know that the last time I said this, it was a bad thing and that it was what started this whole mess. But I'm going to ask anyway. Do you still love me?" He smiled sadly. "Nothing could ever change the way I feel about you. I know why you did what you did, and I also know it wasn't your fault." She closed her eyes, clenching her fists as a tear escaped.

"I know you probably think I don't, but I know how you feel." He said softly. "I know how it feels to come back from the Dark Side, not sure if anyone will ever trust you again. You are forced to seriously question everything you know about yourself. And what you know about Good and Evil is changed forever. It's almost like a piece of you has been torn away." He trailed off as he saw tears welling in her eyes.

"Yes, that's exactly how I feel." She said softly. Then they were holding each other as if they would never let go, his face buried in her hair and her bandaged head hiding in his shoulder. "You grew while I was being an idiot." She mumbled, and he tilted her face up and kissed her. "I will always love you, Brogyn." He said. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him again. "I know."

* * *

Brogyn stood on the platform facing her fellow Legionnaires who had gathered in the Main Room. "Hi everyone. Just so you know, I'm a really horrible public speaker and I'll probably either pass out or start crying." She said shakily, and a ripple of laughter went around.

"After what happened, I know that all of you might be questioning my state of allegiance—and my state of mind. And I'm here to tell you that no matter what happens, I will always be true to the Legion. But I don't think any of us—especially me—would feel right calling me Firegirl anymore. Firegirl was innocent and naïve; she believed that there were good people and bad people, with a black and white line in between that separated the heroes from the villains. But I think we've all realized that even though there is a line, it's very difficult to discern before it's too late, and you've already crossed it. If you've ever crossed that line—by whatever means—I think you know what I mean." She said, her eyes meeting Brainy's and Cham's as she thought about their experiences on the Dark Side.

"Firegirl became Darkfire, and now I can never go back to being either of them. But my best friend gave me a really good idea a long time ago when we were writing this story…" She said, smiling at Lexa, who looked surprised.

"There is a mythical bird that dies in flame, and from the ashes is born anew." Lexa's face lit up, and her heart swelled with pride. "And so a Phoenix is born." She said, and her friends burst out in cheers and whoops.

"And just to make it official—and, yes to make me feel better—I'll say the pledge again." She held up her right hand. "To the Legion of Superheroes, I make this solemn pledge. To use my powers for good, to fight for justice, and protect the innocent. To aid my fellow Legionnaires in times of Peril, and to keep their secrets safe. I am Phoenix. Long Live the Legion!!!" She said, and dozens of fists punched the air as the cry was echoed.

"Long Live the Legion!"

Phoenix stepped off the stage and was enveloped by a bandaged pair of arms. Storm was grinning like a maniac, and Element Lad was standing behind her, making sure she didn't strain herself or get too rough and re-injure herself. "You totally stole my idea!" She said, and Phoenix laughed. "You said I could, remember? Finders keepers, ideas are included." Storm shook her head and backed up as Lightning Lad pushed his way through.

"Hey Fireball! I thought you said you were bad at public speaking!" He said, his bear hug enveloping her and lifting her off the ground. "I am. That wasn't public speaking; that was acting." She said back, her voice muffled from inside his embrace. He laughed and set her back down, ruffling her hair. "Hey, Sparky, let the little people through!" A voice said, and Cham ducked around Lightning Lad's arm. "Cham!" Phoenix attack-hugged him, and he smiled blissfully.

"Good to have you back, Fir—er, I mean Phoenix." She smiled and released him. "We really missed you." He said softly. "But we knew you'd be back. We can't get rid of you that easily!" He said, his jovial tone returned with a vengeance. She laughed, and his smile faded as something caught his eye over her shoulder.

"He's waiting for you." He said, and she turned around. Brainy was sitting by the window, staring into space. "Thanks Cham." She said and pecked him on the cheek before running off to Brainy. Cham blinked, his hand straying up to where she had kissed him.

"Man, you are hopeless." Nemesis Kid said, shaking his head. "What are you talking about?" Cham asked, trying to hide his blush. "Dude, she's _so_ far gone. You realize that, don't you?" The Durlan sighed. "Hey, Ultra Boy has a major crush on Storm you know."

Nemesis Kid shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. But that's kind of different; she isn't that far gone. She and Element Lad are still kind of deciding whether or not they really like each other. Phoenix is like… _way_ gone." He said, and as if to prove his point, Phoenix had her arms around Brainy's waist, her head resting on his shoulder. They were both looking out the window dreamily. "Whatever." Cham muttered and brushed past Nemesis Kid, slipping out the door to escape.

He only wished he could.

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_

Again, I will hate myself forever for what I've done, but I like Love Triangles.

Hope you liked it, Chapter Seven coming....eventually....

Hey, good news!!! In Chapter Seven we get to meet another original character created by me!!!! Yay!! We also get to see what a certain Fiery Legionnaire looks like as an adult!!! (Kind of...nineteen is considered adulthood, right?)

Review pleez!

~^~Phoenix~^~


	14. Part 7 Chapter 1

Hey my faithful followers! I'm so sorry I made you wait, but here it is!!! The finale of the Adventures of Firegirl!!!! WOOHOOO!!!  
I'm so glad it's over!  
I own Firegirl/Phoenix, Storm/Tesla, and Niana Dox. That's all. Nothing else. Oh yeah, I own the entire Young Legion...  
But that's an upcoming story.  
Read, Review, Enjoy!!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Finale**

**Part One: Another New Legionnaire**

"Home?! Cos, you can't be serious!"

Lightning Lad pounded his fist on the table, his anger making the room crackle with electricity and several members' hair stand on end.

"Phoenix has proved to be a liability to the team." Their leader said harshly, his purple eyes looking everywhere but Phoenix's devastated face.

"She's just as much a member of this team as you, Cosmic Boy." Brainy said icily, his fists clenched in tight balls. "If you send her home, nothing will ever be the same."

Phoenix was sitting with her head in her hands, obviously trying not to freak out as she stared at the floor. Cosmic Boy sighed and steepled his hands, sighing tiredly.

"I'm not talking about expelling her from the team; I'm talking about a temporary suspension until the whole...incident blows over." Cosmic Boy looked exhausted--ever since the Darkfire incident, he had been dealing with all kinds of pressure from the UP about the security of his team as they brought up the Brainiac Incident as well. Even knowing all the stress he was under and that their leader was just trying to fix things, everyone was still unhappy.

"If you send her, I'll have to go too." Storm said, standing by her friend's side.

"You can't send Storm and Phoenix away!" Violet gasped, her eyes wide. More fighting ensued, shouts and accusations flying as the Legionnaires argued.

"If sending me away is what's best for the team, I'll go. As long as I have to, if you'll be able to trust me again." A voice said softly, and all other noise stopped as they looked at Phoenix in shock. She was looking up now, but her eyes stayed locked on the wall--somewhere, anywhere but the disbelieving faces.

"I've put you all in danger more times than any other member. And I've hurt every single one of you in my time as a Legionnaire. And the only thing I hate more than Imperiac 6 is seeing the ones I love hurt. Especially by my hand." She said, and Brainy reached out to her. But she pulled back and finally looked at them, pain in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you anymore." She turned and flew from the room, leaving the others in stunned silence.

* * *

The door to Phoenix's room opened, and she hurried to wipe away the tears that stained her face.

"Nix, what's wrong?" Cham asked, and she turned around with a fake smile on her face. "Are you going somewhere?" He had seen the half packed bags on her bed.

"I think it's time for me to go home, Cham." She said, and he jerked back like she had struck him.

"What?! But..." Phoenix held up her hand, still keeping the fake smile on her face.

"Not forever silly, but...I just don't know. Maybe give the legion some time to cool down after what happened, spend some time with my family again...I can't believe I'm saying this, but I almost miss my little brother." She laughed, and Cham sat down next to her.

"You're going to come back though, right?" He asked, and she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Of course I will! I think I'll finish High School first, though." She said with a laugh, but he heard the strain behind her forced smile and her shaky laugh.

"How long will that take?"

She shrugged, still packing. "Well...I'm a sophomore now, so four more years I think. One year of college would do me good."

Cham stared at her in shock. "Four whole years?!" He said when he found his voice.

Phoenix stopped packing and looked over at him, her smile wavering. "I'll come and visit sometimes, and you can come back too. I just..." She picked up her iPod and messed with it a little as the facade began to crumble.

"I just need some time to think."

Cham looked at her sadly before nodding. "I guess I understand."

She ran a hand through her wild curls, brushing her side bangs to the side where they belonged again. "Besides, it's not like I'm giving up on heroing. Storm and I were going to work on our powers back home for awhile, try and do some things in our time. The world never stops needing heroes, right?"

Cham looked at her, really looked at her. Phoenix was...different now. She still seemed to be the same old bubbly Brogyn, but now she had an air of maturity and experience around her, tinged with sadness and a little...something. Something that only showed when you looked into her eyes; a darkness, an understanding that had never been there before. Honestly, it was terrifying.

"Yeah. I guess the world always needs heroes." He smiled and Phoenix smiled back at him. Just then there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Phoenix called. Storm walked in, dressed in civvies. "Hey Cham. Hey Nix." She was smiling, but they could both see the serious and somewhat sad look in her eyes.

"Well, Brainy has the Time Bubble Tech all set up for the right coordinates. We better go say...well...you know." Storm twisted a strand of hair around her finger, obviously trying hard not to cry. Cham stood up and hugged her.

"We'll see you soon, right?"

Storm chuckled. "Really soon, I promise." Phoenix hugged Cham too. "You have to come visit us so that we can show you all the awesome things about our time. Like Roller Coasters. Definitely Roller Coasters." Cham nodded as they all left the room and walked out to the main room, where several legion members were waiting both in person and over holoscreens. Phoenix quickly hugged everyone, listening to quick, whispered goodbyes and bits of advice.

"Don't let anyone bug you, Nix. If they do, tell them I'll come after them." Lightning Lad said, and she laughed at him as he put her in a headlock.

"I'll tell them about my scary Big Brother. You know, I expect you to have proposed to Saturn Girl by the time I get back." He blushed furiously, and ripples of laughter went around the room. When she came to Cosmic Boy, he held out his hand.

"I am sorry Phoenix. I--" He started to say something, but then Phoenix did something completely unexpected; she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, nearly knocking him off balance.

"It's ok, I understand. You need to do what's right for the team. Don't let what anyone says get to your head--you really are a great leader. Better than most of us could ever hope to be." She released him and smiled at his flustered expression.

"I've been getting a little homesick anyway."

They shook hands, and then she walked over to Brainy. The green skinned teen looked into her eyes, unfathomable sadness in his eyes.

"I'm going to miss you." He said softly, gently holding her hand and twisting the Legion ring dismally. Phoenix pushed a thin strand of hair behind his ear; it was getting long, like he wore it when he was a kid.

"I know. I will too. But don't worry; some things never change. It's enough...There's Us." She whispered, and kissed him quickly. "When I get back, you owe me a purp smoothie."

Brainy smiled. "Whatever you say Brogyn." Phoenix went to stand by Storm, who had finished saying goodbye to Element Lad--who had made the hug a little longer and a little closer than was normal--and they stood together. As the Time Bubble opened around them, people may or may not have seen the tears building up in the two travelers eyes.

* * *

Violet was watching the monitor out of the corner of her eye, staring at Phoenix's empty chair. '_She'll be back in a few years. Maybe even less!_' She scolded herself for her selfishness. Of course she would want to live her normal life for a while before leaving it to join the Legion! It had already been a month ever since she had left, but things still didn't feel normal.

Suddenly the radar picked up…something, coming in way faster than it should have been, knocking Shrinking Violet out of her thoughts. She got a target lock on it and watched as a strange ship toppled in, a design she had only seen in some of Brainy's more restricted files.

It was a Coluan ship.

* * *

There was a pounding on Brainy's door, and he opened his eyes blearily.

"Brainy! Brainy get out here now!!" Someone was shouting, and he jumped up and ran to the door. Violet was standing there, looking decidedly freaked out. "Brainy, we just had a ship crash land a few miles outside town!" She said, and he froze at her expression.

"What kind of ship?"

She bit her lip at his skeptical expression. "I'm not really sure, but…" He already knew what she was going to say, guessing from her hesitation.

"It's Coluan, isn't it?" He asked, and she saw the fear creep into his eyes. He leaped out of bed, throwing the blankets across the floor.

"Oh no. Not now."

He rushed back into his room and grabbed his belt and his ring, not even bothering to change from his pajamas.

"Take me to it!" Vi nodded, and they flew away to the crash site.

* * *

The wreckage was burning; she had to get out. Weak hands grasped at the ground, trying to pull her to safety. She knew that although her metal body would protect her to a certain point, it wasn't fireproof armor. She was vulnerable and trapped at the moment, and it made her angry_. _

_I have to get out. I have to find him_…

Her vision blurred, and she collapsed with a gasp as a piece of the hull landed on her leg. Then a faint sound reached her ears, and she looked up. Two shadows were standing in front of the crash, one of them with their hands to their mouth looking shocked.

"It _is_ Coluan."

She squinted at them; there was something familiar about one, but she couldn't place it… Then there were hands on her arms and someone was dragging her out, lifting her to safety, wincing back at the high temperature of her body as it burned their sensitive human skin. She coughed and looked up at her savior. She was a small human girl with black hair and pale skin, looking worried.

"Brainy, come here." She motioned for the other to come over, and suddenly there was a boy kneeling in front of her, checking for serious burns with a practiced hand. He looked human for the most part, but his skin was the same green as Coluans, and three circular white marks dotted his forehead. He looked into her eyes and suddenly jerked back as if she had shocked him.

"What's wrong?" The girl asked, touching his arm. He was staring at the Coluan in front of him, his mouth moving but no sound coming out. She laughed weakly, coughing again.

"Hello Querl." She wheezed, and then her head slumped forward and she blacked out.

* * *

Brainy felt his pulse begin to race; was this who he thought it was? Could it really be her? She was unconscious now, and he moved over to the young female Coulan. She had long blonde hair, and her armor was purple with black stripes down the legs and a jagged black slash down the front. She was covered in soot, and parts of her arms had begun to melt slightly in the intense heat, the Coluan version of a third degree burn.

He gently turned her over and lifted her into his arms, his mind racing; there were three white circles on her forehead.

"Brainy, how does she know your name?" Violet asked, watching as he stood up with the small Coluan girl in his arms. He sighed and flew into the air, motioning for her to follow.

"I know I've never told you much about my family. But I used to have one, long ago. My father died when I was young, and my mother…disappeared a few years later. But not before they had another child." He looked down at the girl in his arms and Violet gasped.

"She's your sister?!" She asked, and he nodded.

"Her name is Niana, and she should be almost twelve years old. I…I didn't think…" He gazed down at his little sister with an expression of almost awe.

"I heard they had imprisoned...And executed her."

Violet gasped again, and suddenly Niana coughed and opened her eyes. "We Doxes are not so easy to kill. Wouldn't you agree, Querl?" She asked weakly, and he sighed as they touched down in front of Legion Head Quarters. He set her down in front of him, and she only came up to his chest. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her up and down for a minute, eyes speaking of regrets and memories. Suddenly he fell to his knees and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. She stiffened at the very human gesture as he held her close.

"I'm so glad you're safe." He whispered, and she looked surprised and shocked at his reaction.

"You were…worried about me?" She seemed to find the idea strange.

"I've thought about you every day since I left. And when I heard you had been imprisoned… I thought for sure they had killed you." He said, and a tear dropped onto her shoulder from his face.

"I escaped." She said, but her voice shook slightly, as if she was dazed.

"You always were good at getting out of locked rooms." He said with a smile and hugged her again, making sure to avoid her burns. "Come with me, you need a good long session in the Healing Chamber."

* * *

Cham looked up as the doors to the Tower opened, and blinked as Brainy propelled a small Coluan girl in front of him.

"Uh, ahem…explanation?" But he was already gone down the hall, and Violet sat down next to him. "Why does Brainy look like he just won the Galactic Lottery?" Cham asked, and Violet smiled, looking dazed.

"That girl he's with? She's from Colu. And guess what else? She's his sister."

Cham made a small choking noise. "He has family? Why didn't he ever tell us?" Violet shrugged, and as more Legionnaires appeared they explained over and over who the small green girl was.

* * *

Brainy watched as Niana lay down on the table, her long hair creating a cushion for her head. The waves began to sweep across her, and Brainy turned away for a moment, catching his breath.

_I can't believe this is really happening,_ he thought. _Niana is __**alive**__. Alive and here in the Legion Tower_. He stopped the chamber and watched as she came out, clenching and unclenching her hand.

"You designed it well, Querl." She said, and he smiled at her. She looked confused at his expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, and he blinked out of his reverie. "I just can't believe you're really here. That you really are alive. I've spent so long thinking…" He trailed off and pulled her to him again, this time noticing as she stiffened.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he released her, looking thoroughly confused. "I've spent so much time living with humans… I guess I forgot that hugs are strange to Coluans. I was a little shocked at first too." He said apologetically, and she frowned. She suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled it closer, squinting at it with a furrowed brow. One eye popped out of the socket and became a magnifying glass, searching for an explanation.

"How is this possible?" She muttered, turning his soft human hand over. "This completely defies all logical explanation." He sighed and pulled his hand away, clenching it into a fist.

"We really aren't sure how it happened. But it was the best thing to ever happen to me." She looked skeptical, and he sighed. "I know it's difficult to understand, and I don't understand it fully myself. I'm simply presenting facts as I best see them." He sat down at a computer and started typing as Niana leaned back against the rest of the table.

"After I was...influenced by our ancestor, my original body was destroyed, and I was...human. I've gone over the tapes countless times, but I still can't determine what caused my transformation." Niana rolled her eyes as Querl looked back at her, both of them suddenly feeling a little awkward, neither sure what to say.

"Come on, you need rest." He said, propelling her out the door.

"Brainy, question...where is she going to sleep?" Cham asked as Brainy walked into the room, passing him in the same position he had been in minutes earlier.

"For now...Phoenix's room." He said, and Cham spluttered.

"What?! Dude, you can't just--"

Violet shot him a look, cutting him off. "It's the closest room, and I think Phoenix would be fine if Brainy's sister stayed in there for a little while until we can get another room set up for her." Cham sighed, but didn't object.

* * *

Brogyn sighed as she leafed through her manga book. It was beyond late, but it was summer, so it didn't matter. She sat in her room, knowing that the rest of her family was asleep and she should go to bed soon; but she wasn't quite ready yet. The pyrokinetic was dressed in solid black, her hair pulled back into a ponytail for safety reasons. She had had a difficult time explaining why the edge of her hair was singed that one time...

_Tap-tap._ Brogyn looked up to see a familiar face in her window. At one time long ago, she might have thought it was...someone else, but she had gotten used to Lexa's quick taps as they did this every night. She quickly slid open her window and popped out the screen.

"Hey there Brogs. You ready to go?"

The other girl was also dressed in black, although she was wearing jeans as opposed to sweats. The girls had found out a couple weeks ago that whatever material sweats were made of apparently didn't like lightning that much...they had never seen so much static in their lives. Not to mention the incident with the silk scarf...Brogyn clambered out of her room, replacing the screen as she looked over at Lexa.

"Yeah, I'm good. Any ideas about where we should practice? We kind of left a big dead spot out by the school..." Lexa shrugged.

"The bluffs maybe?" Brogyn nodded as Lexa lifted them into the air. "Sounds good." The darker haired girl looked over at her friend as the wind carried them silently through the night.

"How have you been lately?" Brogyn gave a small shrug.

"I used to love summer--at least the no school part, not the heat--but now it feels like it's dragging on forever."

Lexa smiled. "Yeah, I know the feeling. But just think; I'll be a senior this year, and you'll be a junior! Only two more years to go." Brogyn looked over the vast expanse of the Suburbs outside of Mountain City, the lights twinkling like tiny stars.

"It's too long. I know I'm being silly, but..." The pyrokinetic sighed.

Lexa looked down at her sympathetically. "Well...as stupid as this will sound, life does go on." Brogyn stared at her friend in shock as she went on. "I don't want to sound callous, I miss the Legion too, but...we can't always dwell on the--Er, although I suppose in this case it would be the future--We need to try to move forward, keep going, see new things. Maybe try to see old friends again, or find a boy to go out with." Lexa gave a faint smile. "I know I sound like a snobby jerk, but...sometimes we just need to let go a little. The tighter you hold something, the more slips through your fingers."

Brogyn sniffed, several tears falling to the ground below as she sniffled. "Well...you're mostly right. About the not dwelling in the past part. But there is no _way_ I'm going out with anyone while I've got you-know-who waiting for me." She said with a snarl, and Lexa shrugged.

"Suit yourself. I'm not saying you didn't have to, I was just throwing it out as a suggestion." Brogyn let herself smirk as they landed in the dark of the park.

"Oh really? And what about you? Thinking of cheating on Element Lad?"

"Brogyn?"

"Yes?"

"Can it before we get caught by Security again. Come on, let's try working on that one channeling idea you had yesterday." Brogyn allowed herself a grin of victory as she powered up.

* * *

Niana Dox felt consciousness return slowly. Inside of her visual receptors, a blinking light had turned on.

_Reboot Complete. Powering all Primary Systems._

Her optical receptors suddenly turned on, along with audio, olfactory, and various other systems coming online. She carefully sat up, well aware of the system damage that had been caused by her rather...haphazard landing. Even her brother's healing chamber had not fully repaired her.

She looked around the room and found it in what seemed to be a suspended state of holographic simulation. The furnishings on the wall, the items on the shelves, the drawings tacked to the wall--all holograms, as if someone very much wanted to remember the way it used to be.

"I apologize for leaving this thing running again." The holograms suddenly disappeared, leaving only bare walls and an empty sadness. Brainy was standing in the doorway, smiling at his sister.

"Querl?" It was definitely her brother, but he was human--real flesh and blood human. It was still an odd sight to behold.

Niana blinked and then looked around. "I presume I am in the legion tower?" Brainy nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "Niana...why are you here?" The younger girl looked around, apparently not registering or, more likely, just ignoring his question.

"So this is your little sister?" Both Doxes jumped and turned to see Cham and Saturn Girl standing there, looking at Niana with a little curiosity.

"Chameleon Boy, Saturn Girl, meet Niana." Brainy said, and Cham stuck his hand out. "Hey, Niana. I'm sorry you're related to this guy." She looked skeptical as Brainy made a spluttering sound.

"Could it be, Chameleon Boy, that you are jealous?" Now it was Cham's turn to splutter, and Saturn Girl maneuvered around them as Cham jumped on the older boy's back, putting him in a headlock.

"Hello, Niana. My name is Saturn Girl." Niana shook her hand with a nod of acknowledgement as she watched the boys with a raised eyebrow and a look of slight disdain.

"May I ask what on Colu they are doing?"

Cham had succeeded in knocking Brainy over, and was sitting on his back trying to make him take back his jealous comment by yanking on his longish hair.

"Being boys." She said with a slight smile as Brainy gave in and ducked his head to avoid going bald at seventeen. Niana frowned, obviously still confused.

"Sorry, Kid, that's about all the explanation you're going to get around here." A voice said, and a boy with brown hair materialized beside Saturn Girl. Cham and Brainy both jumped in surprise, Brainy tripping and falling back on his rear as he was surprised in the process of getting off the floor.

"Hello, Lyle." Saturn Girl said as the boy hooted with laughter at Brainy and Cham's begrudged expressions.

"You two should be used to him by now." Saturn Girl pointed out, and Invisible Kid turned to her.

"You never freak out! It's no fun." She rolled her eyes at the Young Legionnaire.

"Most likely because I can hear your dirty little mind coming from all the way down the hall." He squawked in indignation as Cham snickered.

"I do not have a dirty mind!" The other two boys cleared their throats and looked away, and he chucked the pillow at them, sticking his tongue out in a childish manner before turning to Niana.

"What's with this? The new kid didn't even freak out! That's not normal; usually they jump at least three feet in the air!"

Niana looked at him with a mildly disgusted expression, and his smile faded slightly.

"My sensors detected your presence as soon as you entered the room, courtesy of a phase-through performed by another member, I assume."

His jaw dropped, and he turned to Brainy. "Please tell me she's not related to you. Please. We so do not need another Brainiac around here."

Both Doxes were nodding, and Invisible Kid sighed.

"I knew it." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Great. Another way-too-smart kid on the team."

Niana frowned. "I would have assumed that having people well versed in various fields of science would be of great use in the Legion." Everyone stared at her for a moment before Lyle blushed.

"It was supposed to be a joke." He muttered.

Niana blinked. "I have never heard humor such as that before. I shall remember it for future reference." Lyle stood next to Niana, looking at her in concern before turning to Brainy.

"Did COMPUTO brainwash your sister or something?" Brainy winced as Niana's head slowly turned to him, the expression 'if looks could kill' coming to everyone's minds.

"I can assure you Invisible Kid, my mind is completely my own." She turned to Brainy. "Why do you associate with this..." She gave Lyle another look. "Specimen of human annoyance?"

Lyle choked back a protest as everyone laughed--except for Brainy. He had a gut feeling she was being serious. The former Coluan forced a smile on his face and patted his sister's shoulder.

"Unfortunately, I have no choice. Believe it or not, Lyle is the legion specialist in bioelectronics and various mechanical fields." Niana's eyes had turned to her brother.

"Second only to you I assume?"

Brainy shrugged. "In some fields. I excel in some, he excels in others, and Shrinking Violet is also an excellent scientist on this team." Lyle grinned, leaning on the shorter, green boy's shoulder.

"Gee Brainy, I think that's the biggest compliment you've ever given me since I got here." Brainy shoved Lyle off as everyone else in the room laughed--everyone except Niana, who failed to see the humor again.

"I'll see you around, Doxes." Lyle said and disappeared, followed by Cham and Saturn Girl shortly after.

Niana sat down on the bed, looking at the bare walls. "Why was the hologram running earlier?"

Brainy looked startled, then blushed dark green in embarrassment. "It's Phoenix's room. I holo-programmed it to be the way it is when she is here because I miss her."

She was frowning at him, and he realized that he had a lot to teach her.

"Well, I once went to the twenty-first century..."

* * *

_So now you have my new OC, Niana Dox. Stormgirl doesn't like her too much, but she's kind of a poopstick...Don't worry, she lightens up when she meets a certain Cybrog Superhero from the past..._

_Stay tuned for the Final Finale of the Adventures of Firegirl!!!_

_For those of you who are waiting until the end to review, DO IT NOW!!! Please._

_~^~Phoenix~^~_


	15. Part 7 Chapter 2

_And here it is!!! The Finale of The Adventures of Firegirl!!!! Hope you like it, because I've been working on this story since I was twelve and a half, and this is the last chapter now that I'm fourteen and a half. Two years of work, finally complete.  
I think I'm going to cry.  
READ it, REVIEW it, but most of all ENJOY IT!!!_

_

* * *

_

**_Chapter Seven: Finale  
_****_  
Part Two: Happily Ever After, The End, Fin, all the jazz_**

There was a flash of light, and Violet looked up, brushing her hair out of her face. Two people stepped down out of a Time Bubble, and she felt her heart leap into her throat. One woman who was about 5' 7'' had long brown hair and brown eyes, and her expression was happy and nostalgic. The other was very tall, with wild curls around her head like a cloud. It was either dirty blonde or light brown, depending on how you looked at it, and her wide blue eyes sparkled from under her bangs with barely contained excitement.

"We're back."

Violet shot up and flung her arms around the taller woman, laughing with joy. "Phoenix!!!" They both laughed, and the other woman was pulled into the embrace.

"Live Wire!!! Cham!!! Get in here!" Violet shouted, and a man with a scraggly little beard and electric blue eyes poked his head into the room.

"What..." His eyes fell on the women and his face lit up. He grabbed Phoenix and swung her around, both of them laughing in pure joy. "We've missed you, Fireball." He said, ruffling her hair as Violet hugged Storm.

"Hey, you can't treat me like a kid anymore!! I'm eighteen now, Sparky!" She said, swatting his hand away.

"Phoenix!!! Storm!!!"

People flooded into the room, hugging and shaking their hands, overwhelming them. "Actually, she's Tesla now." Phoenix said, her arm around her friend's shoulder.

"You're not the only one who got a name change!" Violet said, and the Legionnaires grinned. "Lightning Lad is Live Wire, Cham is Chameleon, but still Cham. Cos is Polestar, Saturn Girl is Saturn Woman, Phantom Girl is Apparition, Triplicate Girl is Triad, Element Lad is Alchemist, Ultra Boy is Ultimate, Star Boy is Starman, Nemesis Kid dropped the kid, Karate Kid is Blackbelt, Dream Girl became Dream Woman, Bouncing Boy, Bouncing Man..." Violet trailed off as a small red head appeared at Live Wire's shoulder.

"Hey, I'm Spark." She said with a grin, and Live Wire chuckled at Phoenix's widening eyes.

"Your little...Your sister!!!" Phoenix looked like she was going to cry from happiness as she swept the girl into a hug, and Tesla was grinning. Phoenix set her back down, eyes suddenly dead serious.

"Where is he?" Phoenix asked, and Violet looked at Cham, who shrugged.

"Haven't seen him all day. Probably locked away in the Lab with..." he trailed off as Phoenix took off running at full tilt through the crowd.

"Well, we all knew that was coming."

* * *

Phoenix rushed into the lab, breathing hard from running up two flights of stairs. She had been too impatient for the elevator.

"Brainy?"

A chair swiveled around, and Phoenix felt a sudden stab of apprehension. A little Coluan--female, as far as Phoenix could tell--was giving her a strange look, as if she smelled something bad.

"Can I help you?" She asked, and Phoenix blinked.

"Uh...Who..Who are you?" She asked, and the Coluan stood up.

"Civilians aren't authorized to be in the Lab." Phoenix felt shock and anger bubble up in her--who _was_ this kid?

"Civilian? Hey, I am _not_ a civilian!!" She protested, looming over the tiny Coluan menacingly.

"What's going on in here? Niana, is everything..." A voice broke into their argument, and Phoenix whirled around. A man was standing in the doorway, his long ash blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and his bangs hanging slightly in his eyes. His skin was green, and one white circle peeped out from under his hair on his forehead.

"Brogyn." he breathed, and she felt tears well up in her eyes. "Long time no see."

Then she was being spun around in the air, and she had to grab onto his neck to keep from falling as they laughed.

"I can't believe you're finally home!" He said as he set her down. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him full on, letting her feelings do to the talking instead of trying to put them into words. He tilted his head and deepened the kiss, holding her closer to him. A few moments later they broke apart, still pressed against each other, and someone coughed from behind him. The Coluan was looking at them like they had completely lost their minds.

"Niana, this is Brogyn." He said, releasing her but keeping his arm around her waist. He was finally taller than her, and she smiled to think how much they had both grown and changed. Niana looked surprised.

"This is the Phoenix I've heard so much about? I imagined her differently." Phoenix flushed, looking down in embarrassment at the hidden insult in her words.

"Differently how?" He sounded defensive, and she squeezed his hand to support him.

"You spoke so highly of her, I imagined her more...sophisticated, perhaps?" Again, Phoenix flushed and looked up.

"Thanks, that's a very nice first impression of you, you little snob!" She snapped, face burning in embarrassment.

"Ignore her." He muttered, pulling her out of the Lab as she fired weak insults back at Niana.

"Who _is_ that little brat?!" She hissed, and he looked away, looking extremely guilty.

"What? Spill it, Brainy!"

He rubbed his neck, almost wincing. "My sister?"

Phoenix froze, stunned into shock. "Sister...?" He took her hand, but she pulled away. "What? You...I...you never...YOU HAVE A SISTER?!" He motioned for her to lower her voice, and she fell silent.

"Why didn't you ever mention this before?" She hissed in a whisper, and he ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry."

She cupped her hand to her ear, telling him she hadn't heard him well enough. "I'm sorry! I never told you because I didn't think it was important."

She looked completely disbelieving. "Not important? Oh, I see. It's not important that you have a family back on Colu who could come for you at any--"

"I thought she was dead!"

She started in surprise as he burst in. "I thought she was dead, like the rest of them." He said, looking pained. She felt tears well up in her eyes, and she tucked some loose hair falling out of the ponytail back behind his ear, stroking his cheek.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." She said softly and disappeared into his arms, hiding her face in his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I never told you." They didn't move for a moment, and the door to the Lab slid open with a hiss.

"Good to see you're back." Cham said with a grin, attack-hugging Brogyn as Polestar, Tesla, and Live Wire floated in. The red head pulled Phoenix into a head locked noogie as soon as Cham let go.

"Ah! Sparky, cut it out!" She yelled, laughing all the while. Live Wire grinned as he let her go. Polestar was grinning a little too.

"Well, it's good to see that you're both back." Then he got a confused look on his face. "But why are you back? I thought you would have come back...at a different time. It's only been three years."

Everyone looked at him, then at Phoenix and Tesla as they both turned a little red. Finally Tesla sighed.

"Do you want the long version or the short version?"

Polestar's eyebrows shot up. "I think the short version should be best."

Tesla sighed again. "We had a little accident in the past and our identities got blown." Everyone stared at the storm caller. "Our identities were blown, and we didn't want to put our families in danger, so we told them we were going to leave and that it was to keep them safe. They weren't happy, but they let us go." Out of her pocket, she pulled out a newspaper clipping. Opening it up, Cosmic Boy saw that she was right--it was dated exactly 1000 years ago and showed their real identities.

"Personally, I wanted to check out one thousand and twenty years in the future first to see what everyone's kids look like, but Tesla said no." Phoenix said, and Brainy smiled slightly, his hand twined with hers. The brunette rolled her eyes. "Can you imagine the damage that would cause to the timestream? Sheesh woman!"

Laughter rippled through the Legionnaires, and suddenly tears started rolling down Phoenix's face even as she laughed with them. "What's wrong?" Brainy asked, and she shook her head, laughing and crying too hard to speak for a moment.

"It's just so right!" She said, still crying. "This is exactly how it's supposed to be, and it hasn't been right in three years!" She threw her arms around everyone she could reach, hugging Cham, Brainy and Live Wire all at once.

"I'm so happy!" Tesla was smiling, and she grabbed Polestar and they all joined the group hug, Polestar albeit grudgingly.

* * *

"Geez, how many updates did you make to this place Sparky?" Phoenix asked in delight as Live Wire showed her all the changes that had been made ever since the girl had last been there. Right now she was focused on the main room--it was a lot larger, and it had huge windows now looking out on different views of New Metropolis, which looked a little different itself. Dream Woman and Starman were sitting one of the couches together, talking quietly and holding hands. Phoenix looked at them with a raised brow before leaning up to Live Wire's ear.

"When did they start dating?"

"A couple months ago. And believe it or not, Rokk actually has a girlfriend too." Phoenix looked at him with disbelief and made a slight choking sound. She obviously didn't believe it.

"You don't know her. She joined two years ago. Right now she's Kid Quantum, but she's been debating about whether she should drop the 'Kid' by now or not."

Phoenix shook her head. "I apparently have a lot of catching up to do."

Live Wire chuckled. "You could say that." He said dryly.

Phoenix gave him a sly look. "How's it going with you and Imra?" Live Wire went bright red as they walked, making Phoenix laugh.

"You look like a tomato!"

He scowled at her, jabbing her in the ribs with his elbow. He opened his mouth to respond when an invisible someone beat him to it.

"Is Imra expecting yet?"

Live Wire growled and took a swing at Invisible Kid, who reappeared hooting and rushed away before he could be fried by lightning. When he turned back to Phoenix, she was trying really hard not to laugh. He sighed, his face burning.

"We've been married for a year now."

She squealed and flung her arms around him, giggling like an idiot at his annoyed expression. "Garth, I'm so happy for you!" She cried, eyes sparkling with excitement. Suddenly she looked sad. "Oh. I missed the wedding. I'm so sorry Garth."

He detached her from around his neck and patted her shoulder, rolling his electric blue eyes. "It's not a big deal, Nix, you were probably kind of busy. Don't worry, Triad recorded the _entire_ thing. The nervous interviews and shaky knees included."

They entered another room and were suddenly shocked into silence. Element Lad--or Alchemist, now--was standing with Tesla by the window. Phoenix almost burst into laughter right then and there--he was kissing her! She was blushing very hard, but they obviously weren't aware of the other Legionnaires' presence there. They backed out slowly so as not to disturb them before cracking up.

"Well...I didn't see that one coming!"

* * *

There were three fast knocks and three slow on the door to Phoenix's room, and she knocked twice to tell him to enter. The door slid open, and she looked up from her computer desk. She had gotten back into her usual routine now that she had been back for several weeks.  
"Brainy? It's my job to visit you at all hours of the night, remember? You're the sensible one who actually sleeps!" He looked serious, and she fell silent.

"Is something wrong?"

He sat down on the edge of the bed, folding his hands. "You seem...different. With me. I was just wondering if everything was alright."

She started, as if what he said surprised her. "Different? Different good or different...different bad?"

He shrugged, and when she looked into his eyes they were intense, a focused and entrancing sea green. "Neither. Just...different. More timid, I suppose. As if you are afraid to get too close. You act like if you touch me, I will break. Is this how you feel?"

Phoenix had tears welling up in her eyes, and she reached out, brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "You're not the one I'm afraid is going to break." She whispered, and he pulled her into his arms, stroking her head as she held on to him.

"What do you believe will break, Brogyn?" He asked softly, and she started sobbing.

"I knew I was different. I changed a lot in three years, but I couldn't stop! I just kept changing and changing, until I barely knew the face in the mirror! And every time I saw something else about me change, I would get scared. When I saw you in the door, and I saw how you had changed...I was scared to death." She sobbed, and he frowned, leaning over and looking into her eyes.

"Why on earth were you frightened?"

She shook her head, unable to stop the sobs. "I'm still afraid. I was afraid you wouldn't love me anymore!" She cried, and he just held her tight, rocking back and forth.

"I thought 'what if he doesn't like what I've become?' And the thought of losing the only constant thing I was always holding on to scared me to death!" She buried her face him his shoulder, shaking a little. Then she pulled back when she heard Brainy chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?! This isn't funny!"

Brainy gave an apologetic smile as he took her hand. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just laughing because I can't believe you were afraid of that." She frowned, confused.

"Brogyn, I'll always love you, no matter how much you change, as long as you love me back. I've changed a lot ever since we first met, remember?" Phoenix gave a smile as Brainy gently wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"True. You now know how to use a swing set." Brainy laughed at that, squeezing Phoenix's hand.

"Among other things."

She kissed him, and a shooting star flew across the sky just for them.

Everything was perfect.

* * *

_WOO HOOO!!!!! Two years of hard work finally finished!!!!!! So yeah. That probably explains why the first four chapters suck beyond all reason and the last three aren't so terrible. Age and ability._

_If you liked this story, you should read some others by me! I love readers!!! Also, check me out on under Firegirl210, and read some of my original stories! You know how much I like OCs..._

_Thank you all so much for spending this much time and energy reading my silly story! I hope it was worth it, and I hope you read some of my others! Now that Firegirl is out of the way, I can post GenNext (bundles of fun, I'll tell you) and a whole lot of others that were waiting on this one._

_THANKS TO ALL OF YOU AND A MASSIVE HUG TO STORMGIRL415 WITHOUT WHOM I WOULD HAVE NEVER FINISHED THIS--OR ANY STORY!!!!!!!_

_~^~Phoenix~^~_


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